[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1976-1990]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1915
EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE DEATH 
     OF THE HONORABLE TOM LANTOS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE OF 
                               CALIFORNIA

  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.

[[Page 1977]]


  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's 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's 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 Jon 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 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 
in this sad time.
  Good-bye, 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, I guess, 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

[[Page 1978]]

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, and I 
quote him here, ``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 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 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 July he and Annette were married. And we know that he had an 
absolutely wonderful family.
  His two daughters did provide those 18 grandchildren and two 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.

                              {time}  1930

  We got the news 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.
  One of the things, 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 couple 
of 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, one of the things that I regularly say about the 
United States of America, and 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. And I 
regularly fight against that, and seeing someone like Tom Lantos has 
played a big role in inspiring me. And I know there are other great 
immigrants who serve in this Congress and obviously in this country as 
well. And 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 of 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. And I want to say to all of the family members how much 
I have appreciated the friendship. Our thoughts and prayers are with 
them. And 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.

[[Page 1979]]

  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, and I quote, ``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 that veneer is very thin. John Lewis, another 
great humanitarian and champion of individual rights and civil 
liberties. He went on to say, ``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 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 yoke 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.

                              {time}  1945

  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 firsthand 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.

[[Page 1980]]

  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 Refusniks, 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 
atheistic 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 September 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 firsthand, 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 U.S. 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 
two exceptional daughters, to his son-in-laws, 18 grandchildren and two 
great grandchildren.
  I have known Tom Lantos for many decades, long before I came to the 
House of Representatives. And I remember that November of 1980 where I 
think he was the only Democrat that 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 good-bye 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.

[[Page 1981]]

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's 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.

                              {time}  2000

  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. And 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, and when he took his place, and 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.
  And I think that's a great trademark of this Nation and certain 
special leaders, like Tom Lantos, that gives us, 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 who look at this American forum here, this forum 
of leadership and governance in Washington, DC, and who saw people like 
Tom Lantos, perhaps tough to figure out in many ways, but when it got 
right down to it, they 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, 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. And 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 walk out 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. 
And 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 three decades in Congress.
  As we know now, Tom Lantos' journey from Hungary to the Halls of 
Congress was an extremely remarkable

[[Page 1982]]

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 he chose to become a citizen of.
  Who of 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. Beautiful opera singer. Tom was so proud of her. 
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 Chippy. 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.

                              {time}  2015

  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 son-in-laws, his grandson-in-laws, 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.

[[Page 1983]]

  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 dialogue 
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 okay. 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 have joined 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.

[[Page 1984]]



                              {time}  2030

  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.
  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 1981, 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 end 
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 two 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. And my apartment was described as 
spartan, and that's probably effusive. And 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 choose to go to that meeting 
rather than the Yom HaShoah program at Statuary Hall. And I felt bad 
about that because I had attended all those programs in Tennessee and 
felt strong about the Holocaust. And 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. And I said, Well, 
okay, Tom. And I said, I went to this Judiciary meeting and I made a 
mistake; I should have come here, I know. And 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, And 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 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

[[Page 1985]]

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, chairman of the Asia Subcommittee of 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 two 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, they 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.
  This is Tom Lantos' words after he is 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 28 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 for human rights. 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 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 United States 
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 the summer of 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

[[Page 1986]]

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 co-chair 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 
good-bye 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 28 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 two children, seventeen grandchildren and two 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

[[Page 1987]]

inflict upon others. He was the founder and co-chairman 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 two daughters, 
his 17 grandchildren and two 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, by his two daughters, 
Annette and Katrina; by 17 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 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 the forces of 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 17 grandchildren.
  So let us take this time to recognize and mourn our dear friend 
Representative Tom Lantos--a fierce defender of human rights, and 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, Lantos and Tillemann 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 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 co-chairman 
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

[[Page 1988]]

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 camp. He was beaten. His mother, much of his family, and the 
family of his high school sweetheart-turned-wife were killed.
  He transformed tragedy into triumph. After earning an American 
education and raising a family, he became the only Holocaust survivor 
elected to the U.S. Congress in 1980. 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 co-
founder 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 Dafur. 
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 two 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 esophagus 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 and 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 co-chairmanship 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 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.


[[Page 1989]]

       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.
       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.

  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 two 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 co-chairman 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 two daughters, their 18 grandchildren, and two great-
grandchildren in their time of mourning. It was an honor and a 
privilege to serve with Tom Lantos these last 28 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 forced into facist 
forced labor camps. After escaping twice, Mr. Lantos sought refuge in a 
Jewish safe house 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 28 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 two children, 18 grandchildren, and two 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 co-chair 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 reflection 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 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

[[Page 1990]]

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.
  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.

                          ____________________