Lantos, T

The New York Times Op-Ed, Monday, January 6, 1992

Remember Nayirah, Witness for Kuwait? i download doc

The New York Times Op-Ed, Monday, January 6, 1992

Remember Nayirah, Witness for Kuwait?

By John R. MacArthur

In his urgent arguments during the fall and winter of 1990 for military action against Saddam Hussein, President Bush made much of the Iraqi leader's cruelty toward the Kuwaiti people. Mr. Bush's allegations of atrocities by Iraqi forces generally went unchallenged. Mr. Hussein's violent disposal of dissident Iraqis was a matter of record, so few politicians, journalists or human rights investigators were prepared to question the President's campaign to paint his opponent as Adolf Hitler reborn.

Some claims were no doubt true, but the most sensational one--that Iraqi soldiers removed hundreds of Kuwaiti babies from incubators and left them to die on hospital floors--was shown to be almost certainly false by an ABC reporter, John Martin, in March 1991, after the liberation of Kuwait. He interviewed hospital doctors who stayed in Kuwait throughout the occupation.

But before the war, the incubator story seriously distorted the American debate about whether to support military action. Amnesty International believed the tale, and its ill-considered validation of the charges likely influenced the seven Senators who cited the story in speeches backing the Jan. 12 resolution authorizing war. Since the resolution passed the Senate by only five votes, the question of how the incubator story escaped scrutiny--when it really mattered--is all the more important. (Amnesty International later retracted its support of the story.)

A little reportorial investigation would have done a great service to the democratic process. Americans would have been interested to know the identity of "Nayirah," the 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl who shocked the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on Oct. 10, 1990, when she tearfully asserted that she had watched 15 infants being taken from incubators in Al-Adan Hospital in Kuwait City by Iraqi soldiers who "left the babies on the cold floor to die." The chairmen of the Congressional group, Tom Lantos, a California Democrat, and John Edward Porter, an Illinois Republican, explained that Nayirah's identity would be kept secret to protect her family from reprisals in occupied Kuwait.

There was a better reason to protect her from exposure: Nayirah, her real name, is the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.S., Saud Nasir al-Sabah. Such a pertinent fact might have led to impertinent demands for proof of Nayirah's whereabouts in August and September of 1990, when she said she witnessed the atrocities, as well as corroboration of her charges. The Kuwaiti Embassy has rebuffed my efforts to interview Nayirah.

Today, we are left to ask why Mr. Lantos and Mr. Porter allowed such glaring omissions. What made Nayirah so believable that no one on the caucus staff bothered to check out her story?

One explanation might lie in how Nayirah came to the Congressmen's attention. Both Congressmen have a close relationship with Hill and Knowlton, the public relations firm hired by Citizens for a Free Kuwait, the Kuwaiti-financed group that lobbied Congress for military intervention. A Hill and Knowlton vice president, Gary Hymel, helped organize the Congressional Human Rights Caucus hearing in meetings with Mr. Lantos and Mr. Porter and the chairman of Citizens for a Free Kuwait, Hassan al-Ebraheem. Mr. Hymel presented the witnesses, including Nayirah. (He later told me he knew who she was at the time.)

Until he started working on the Kuwait account, Mr. Hymel was best known to the caucus for defending the human rights record of Turkey, a Hill and Knowlton client criticized for jailing people without due process and torturing and killing them. He is also one of the firm's lobbyists for the Indonesian Government, which has killed at least 100,000 inhabitants of East Timor since 1975.

Mr. Lantos's spokesman says that Hill and Knowlton's client list doesn't concern the Congressman, who accepted a $500 contribution from the firm's political action committee in 1988. In fact, Mr. Lantos and Mr. Porter allowed the Congressional Human Rights Foundation, a group they founded in 1985, to be housed in Hill and Knowlton's Washington headquarters. The firm provides a contribution to the foundation in the form of a $3,000 annual rent reduction, and the Hill and Knowlton switchboard delivers messages to the foundation's executive director, David Phillips.

Hill and Knowlton's client, Citizens for a Free Kuwait, donated $50,000 to the foundation, sometime after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. (The foundation's main supporter is the U.S. Government-financed National Endowment for Democracy.)

Since the gulf war, Hill and Knowlton's collaboration with the Lantos-Porter human rights enterprise has been strengthened by the naming of the firm's vice chairman, Frank Mankiewicz, to the foundation's board in October 1991. Perhaps the Congressmen and directors were impressed by the recent addition of China to Hill and Knowlton's prestigious portfolio of clients. (The firm's clients, Indonesia and Turkey, were notably absent from the foundation's 1990-91 list of human rights "activities.")

Congress and the news media deserve censure for their lack of skepticism about the incubator story. As for Representatives Lantos and Porter, they deserve a medal from the Emir for their work on behalf of the Kuwaiti cause. But their special relationship with Hill and Knowlton should prompt a Congressional investigation to find out if their actions merely constituted an obvious conflict of interest or, worse, if they knew who the tearful Nayirah really was in October 1990.

John R. MacArthur, publisher of Harper's Magazine, is the author of Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War and The Selling of "Free Trade."

Thomas Peter Lantos, was a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_States_Democratic_Party" title="United States Democratic Party" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Democrat</a> who represented the 12th District of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Members_of_the_U.S.Congress_from_California" title="Category:Members of the U.S. Congress from California" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">California</a> the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._House_of_Representatives" title="U. S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U. S. House of Representatives</a> from 1981 until the time of his death in 2008. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/ca12_109.gif" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">map</a>) He was married to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Annette_Lantos" title="Annette Lantos" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Annette Lantos</a>. He was succeeded by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jackie_Speier" title="Jackie Speier" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Jackie Speier</a>.

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<h2 style=" background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; width: auto; font-size: 12px; display: inline;">Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">hide</a>] </div>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Record_and_controversies" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1 Record and controversies</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-3" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#2003_Invasion_of_Iraq" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.1.1 2003 Invasion of Iraq</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-4" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Iraq_troop_.22surge.22_resolution" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.1.2 Iraq troop "surge" resolution</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Environmental_record" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.2 Environmental record</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Animal_Rights" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.3 Animal Rights</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#National_security_and_foreign_policy" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.4 National security and foreign policy</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Aid_to_Afghanistan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.4.1 Aid to Afghanistan</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#International_Nuclear_Fuel_for_Peace_and_Nonproliferation_Act" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.4.2 International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-10" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#PEPFAR_funding_in_FY2008_budget" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.4.3 PEPFAR funding in FY2008 budget</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Biography" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2 Biography</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#2006_elections" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2.1 2006 elections</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Retirement" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2.2 Retirement</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Death" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2.3 Death</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Money_in_Politics" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3 Money in Politics</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Committees_and_Affiliations" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4 Committees and Affiliations</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Committees" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.1 Committees</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Committee_assignments_in_the_109th_Congress_.282005-2006.29" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.2 Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Boards_and_Other_Affiliations" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.3 Boards and Other Affiliations</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-20" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#More_Background_Data" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5 More Background Data</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Contact" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">6 Contact</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Articles_and_Resources" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7 Articles and Resources</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-23" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Sources" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.1 Sources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-24" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Resources" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.2 Resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-25" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Articles_about_Tom_Lantos" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.3 Articles about Tom Lantos</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-26" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#SourceWatch.2FCongresspedia_Resources" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.4 SourceWatch/Congresspedia Resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-27" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#Local_blogs_and_discussion_sites" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.5 Local blogs and discussion sites</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

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</tbody></table>

<h2 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Record and controversies</h2>

<div style=" font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:U.S._legislation" title="Category:U.S. legislation" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">articles on legislation</a>. You can add information you find on how Tom Lantos voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Help:References" title="Help:References" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">cite your sources</a>!</div>

Lantos voted for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Iraq_Resolution_of_2002" title="Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002</a> that started the Iraq War.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-0" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[1]</a>

<div style=" font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">For more information see the chart of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._House_of_Representatives_votes_on_the_Iraq_War" title="U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War</a>.</div>

<h4 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">2003 Invasion of Iraq</h4>

Congressman Lantos voted to authorize military force to be used in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Iraq" title="Iraq" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Iraq</a>. He has made several official statements in his capacity as a Member of Congress and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_International_Relations_Committee" title="House International Relations Committee" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">International Relations Committee</a>, many of which have been published in the Congressional Record. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://thomas.loc.gov/" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[1]</a>

Congressman Lantos is alleged by several partisan news publications to have said to a member of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Israel" title="Israel" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Israeli</a> Parliament: "We'll be rid of the bastard [Saddam Hussein] soon enough. And in his place we'll install a pro-Western dictator, who will be good for us and for you." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=214159&contras\sID=2&subContrassID=6&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[2]</a>

<h4 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Iraq troop "surge" resolution</h4>

In early February, as <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Foreign_Affairs_Committee" title="House Foreign Affairs Committee" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Foreign Affairs Committee</a> Chair, Lantos and Armed Services Chair <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ike_Skelton" title="Ike Skelton" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ike Skelton</a> (D-Mo.) were charged with crafting a non-binding resolution opposing the President's troop "surge" in Iraq for passage in the House. House Majority leader <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Steny_Hoyer" title="Steny Hoyer" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Steny Hoyer</a> (D-Md.) said the measure would contain language expressing “disagreement” or “reservation” with President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_Walker_Bush" title="George Walker Bush" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Bush</a>'s plan for a troop surge.

On February 12, 2007, a copy of the resolution, officially sponsored by Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ike_Skelton" title="Ike Skelton" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ike Skelton</a> (D-Mo.), became public. It stated:

" (1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and (2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-1" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[2]</a>

</blockquote>

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congressional_actions_regarding_President_Bush%E2%80%99s_2007_proposed_troop_%E2%80%9Csurge%E2%80%9D_in_Iraq" title="Congressional actions regarding President Bush’s 2007 proposed troop “surge” in Iraq" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Congressional actions regarding President Bush’s 2007 proposed troop “surge” in Iraq</a></dd>

</dl>

For more information on environmental legislation, see the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Portal:Energy_and_Environment_Policy_(U.S.)" title="Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.)" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Energy and Environment Policy Portal</a>

Lantos was a well-known advocate on behalf of the environment, receiving consistently high ratings from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/League_of_Conservation_Voters" title="League of Conservation Voters" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">League of Conservation Voters</a> and other environmental groups for his legislative record. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H0271103&type=category&category=Environmental%20Issues" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[3]</a> His long-standing efforts to protect open space have brought thousands of acres under the protection of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/07/BAG2CG45TL1.DTL&hw=lantos&sn=007&sc=160" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[4]</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=52546&eddate=12/22/2005" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[5]</a> In 2005 he battled back a stealth legislative effort to expand public use of the Farallon Islands, a protected wildlife haven.

In May 2007, Rep. Lantos sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, urging him to rebuke Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, after police found evidence of dog-fighting on the premises. Lantos is co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-2" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[3]</a>

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congress_and_the_National_Football_League" title="Congress and the National Football League" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Congress and the National Football League</a></dd>

</dl>

In May 2007, Lantos co-sponsored with Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ileana_Ros-Lehtinen" title="Ileana Ros-Lehtinen" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen</a> (R-Fla.) the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h2446/show" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">(H.R. 2446)</a>, which would provide $1.6 billion per year over the following three years to assist development, economic, and security programs in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Afghanistan</a>.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-3" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[4]</a>

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._congressional_actions_relating_to_Afghanistan" title="U.S. congressional actions relating to Afghanistan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. congressional actions relating to Afghanistan</a></dd>

</dl>

<h4 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act</h4>

On February 7, 2007, Rep. Lantos introduced the International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act of 2007. The purpose of the bill was to establish an international regime for the assured supply of nuclear fuel for peaceful means and to authorize contributions to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/International_Atomic_Energy_Agency" title="International Atomic Energy Agency" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">International Atomic Energy Agency</a> (IAEA) to support the establishment of an international nuclear fuel bank. A goal of this bill would be to remove pretexts for countries to build their own uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing facilities, as these national facilities might have limited security and could serve as fronts for countries to develop<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nuclear_weapons" title="Nuclear weapons" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">nuclear weapons</a> programs.

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/International_Nuclear_Fuel_for_Peace_and_Nonproliferation_Act_of_2007" title="International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act of 2007" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act of 2007</a></dd>

</dl>

<h4 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">PEPFAR funding in FY2008 budget</h4>

After President Bush called for extended funding for PEPFAR (President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief), a program which includes provisions requiring at least one third of prevention funding to be used for "abstinence-until-marriage education" only, Rep. Lantos stated that the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="House Committee on Foreign Affairs" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Foreign Affairs</a>, which he chairs, would closely examine the effectiveness of the requirement, which both the Institute of Medicine and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Government_Accountability_Office" title="U.S. Government Accountability Office" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Government Accountability Office</a>had said hindered the program's prevention efforts. The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Family_Research_Council" title="Family Research Council" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Family Research Council</a> (FRC) and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Concerned_Women_for_America" title="Concerned Women for America" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Concerned Women for America</a> (CWA) announced their intention to fight to maintain the provisions, which were passed in 2003 under the Republican-led Congress, while organizations like the Global AIDS Alliance lobbied for their removal.

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congressional_actions_on_the_federal_budget/110th_Congress" title="Congressional actions on the federal budget/110th Congress" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Congressional actions on the federal budget/110th Congress</a></dd>

</dl>

Lantos was born in Budapest, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hungary" title="Hungary" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hungary</a> on February 1, 1928. He was part of an anti-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism" class="extiw" title="w:Nazism" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Nazi</a> resistance movement during the German occupation of Hungary. He considers himself a secular Jew and is the only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust" class="extiw" title="w:Holocaust" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Holocaust</a> survivor serving in the House. Upon immigrating to the United States, he attended the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. 1953) and was a professor of economics, a television journalist, an administrative assistant, and an economic and foreign policy adviser to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Senate" title="U. S. Senate" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U. S. Senate</a> before entering the House. There he rose to serve on the influential <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="House Committee on Foreign Affairs" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Foreign Affairs</a>, where he had been the senior Democratic member since 2001, and the chairman since 2007.

A member of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus" title="Congressional Progressive Caucus" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Congressional Progressive Caucus</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/05/MNGEQDJ4AA1.DTL&hw=lantos&sn=027&sc=177" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[6]</a>, Lantos had repeatedly called for reforms to the nation's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Health_care" title="Health care" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">health-care</a> system, reducing the national budget deficit and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._National_Debt" title="U.S. National Debt" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">national debt</a>, rolling back the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Economic_Growth_and_Tax_Relief_Reconciliation_Act_of_2001&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (page does not exist)" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001</a> (which cut taxes across the board), and opposing <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Social_Security_privatization" title="Social Security privatization" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Social Security privatization</a> efforts. He supported <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Gay_marriage" title="Gay marriage" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">gay marriage</a> rights and legalizing marijuana for medical use, was a strong gun control proponent and was adamantly pro-choice. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H0271103&type=category&category=Gun%20Issues" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[7]</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H0271103&type=category&category=Abortion%20Issues" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[8]</a> He served a total of 14 terms, and died in office on February 11th, 2008.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-4" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[5]</a>

No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Lantos’ seat in the November 2006 election. (See <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._congressional_elections_in_2006" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. congressional elections in 2006</a>) <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://opensecrets.org/states/election.asp?State=CA&year=2006" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[9]</a>

On January 2, 2008 Lantos announced that he had cancer and would not run for re-election in 2008. In a statement Lantos said "Routine medical tests have revealed that I have cancer of the esophagus. In view of this development and the treatment it will require, I will not seek reelection." Two members are in line to succeed Lantos as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Reps. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Berman" title="Howard Berman" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Howard Berman</a> (D-Calif.) and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Gary_Ackerman" title="Gary Ackerman" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Gary Ackerman</a> (D-N.Y.).<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-5" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[6]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-6" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[7]</a>

On February 11, 2008, Lantos died of esophageal cancer at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="House Committee on Foreign Affairs" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Foreign Affairs</a>. He served 14 terms in the House of Representatives, where his career was characterized by a strong support of human rights and US military intervention abroad.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-7" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[8]</a>

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00007382&cycle=2008</crpcontribdata>

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<th colspan="3" style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Links to more campaign contribution information for Tom Lantos

from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> site.</th>

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<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Fundraising profile:</td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td>

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<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Top contributors by organization/corporation:</td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Top contributors by industry:</td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td style=" border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td>

</tr>

</tbody></table>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Lantos%2C+Tom" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Revolving door profile for Tom Lantos</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 privately funded travel profile for Tom Lantos</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00007382" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Personal finance profile for Tom Lantos</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

</ul>

<h2 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committees and Affiliations</h2>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="House Committee on Foreign Affairs" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Foreign Affairs</a> -Chair</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" title="House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Domestic Policy</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on National Security and International Relations</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Government_Reform" title="House Committee on Government Reform" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Government Reform</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Energy and Resources</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on National Security Emerging Threats and International Relations</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_International_Relations" title="House Committee on International Relations" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on International Relations</a> - Ranking Minority Member</li>

</ul>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Vice chairman, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Atlantic_Partnership" title="Atlantic Partnership" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Atlantic Partnership</a></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Board of Overseers, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/International_Rescue_Committee" title="International Rescue Committee" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">International Rescue Committee</a></li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Advisory Board, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Airline_Ambassadors" title="Airline Ambassadors" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Airline Ambassadors</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_Lantos#cite_note-8" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[9]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2 style=" background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">More Background Data</h2>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=H0271103" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Background information on Tom Lantos from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H0271103" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Interest group scorecard ratings for Tom Lantos from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/l000090" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Voting record for Tom Lantos from the Washington Post database</a></li>

</ul>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=CA12&site=congressmerge" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Information on Tom Lantos from Congress Merge</a></li>

</ul>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Wikipedia</a> also has an article on <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lantos" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Tom Lantos</a>. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">GFDL</a>.

wiki

rom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tom Lantos

Tom Lantos.jpg

Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations

In office

January 3, 2007 – February 11, 2008

Preceded by Henry Hyde

Succeeded by Howard Berman

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

from California's 12th district

In office

January 3, 1993 – February 11, 2008

Preceded by Tom Campbell

Succeeded by Jackie Speier

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

from California's 11th district

In office

January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993

Preceded by William Royer

Succeeded by Richard Pombo

Personal details

Born Lantos Tamás Péter

February 1, 1928

Budapest, Hungary

Died February 11, 2008 (aged 80)

National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

Political party Democratic

Spouse(s) Annette Lantos

Alma mater University of Washington, University of California, Berkeley

Occupation politician, college professor, international affairs analyst, business consultant

Religion Judaism

Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos (February 1, 1928 – February 11, 2008)[1] was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from California, serving 1981 until his death as the representative from a district that included the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwestern San Francisco. Lantos had announced in early January 2008 that he would not run for reelection because of cancer of the esophagus,[2][3] but died before finishing his term. Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to have served in the United States Congress.[4]

In speaking before the House of Representatives after his death, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that Lantos "devoted his public life to shining a bright light on the dark corners of oppression... He used his powerful voice to stir the consciousness of world leaders and the public alike."[5] U2 lead singer Bono called him a “prizefighter,” whose stamina would make him go “any amount of rounds, with anyone, anywhere, to protect human rights and common decency."[6]

In 2008, after his death, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which he founded in 1983, was renamed the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Its mission is partly to "to promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights." In 2011, the Tom Lantos Institute was set up in Budapest to promote tolerance and support minority issues in central and eastern Europe and in the world.[7]

Contents  [hide]

1 Early years

1.1 World War II

1.2 Education

1.3 Early career

2 Personal and family life

3 Political career and positions

4 Foreign affairs issues

4.1 1991 Gulf War

4.2 War in Iraq

5 Human rights advocate

5.1 Tibet

5.2 Darfur

5.3 Hungarian minorities

5.4 Lebanon

5.5 Morocco and Western Sahara

6 Death and legacy

7 Congressional scorecards

8 Controversies

9 Electoral history

10 References

11 External links

Early years[edit source | editbeta]

World War II[edit source | editbeta]

Thomas Peter Lantos (Hungarian pronunciation: ['l?nto? 't?ma?? 'pe?t?r]) was born to a Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary. Many of his family members were teachers, including an uncle who was a professor at the University of Budapest, and a grandmother who was a high school principal. His life in Hungary would change after the Third Reich annexing of Austria in 1938, with the Austrian border just 100 miles from Budapest. Lantos remembered this period and a newspaper headline he read when he was only 10, "Hitler Marches into Austria." Even at a young age, he understood the significance of this invasion:[8]

"I sensed that this historic moment would have a tremendous impact on the lives of Hungarian Jews, my family, and myself."

Six years later, in March 1944, the German military invaded Hungary and occupied Budapest, its capital. Lantos, then 16, was arrested because he was Jewish and sent to a forced labor camp outside of Budapest. He escaped but was soon caught by the Germans and beaten severely, to be returned to the labor camp. He again escaped but this time made his way back to Budapest, 40 miles away. There, he hid with an aunt in a safe house set up by Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat.[8]

Lantos then joined the anti-Nazi resistance movement and was able to move around freely due to his having blond hair and blue eyes, which to the Nazis were physical signs of Aryanism. As a result, he acted as a courier for the underground movement and delivered food and medicine to Jews living in other safe houses, and where he met his future wife, Annette Tillemann. In January 1945, less than year later, Russian military forces fought door-to-door battles and liberated Hungary from Nazi occupation. However, Lantos, then 17, returned home only to discover that his mother and other family members had all been killed by the Germans, along with 450,000 other Hungarian Jews, during the preceding 10 months of their occupation.[8] Wallenberg, for his part, was later credited with saving the lives of thousands of other Hungarian Jews.[9]

Lantos described some of his experiences in the Academy Award winning documentary film, The Last Days (1998), produced by Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation. In his floor speeches as a congressman, he sometimes referred to himself as one of the few living members of Congress who had fought against fascism. In 1981, Lantos sponsored a bill making Wallenberg an Honorary Citizen of the United States and became a member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.

In January 2006 he traveled to Hungary and attended a ceremony commemorating the 61st anniversary of the liberation of the Budapest Ghetto. The event was held at the Great Synagogue in Budapest,[10] (photo), today the largest synagogue in Europe.[11]

Education[edit source | editbeta]

In 1946 Lantos enrolled at the University of Budapest. As a result of writing an essay about Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was awarded a scholarship by the Hillel Foundation to study in the United States. He then emigrated to the U.S. and studied economics at University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned a B.A. in 1949 and an M.A. in 1950. He continued his post-graduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, and received a Ph.D in economics in 1953.

Early career[edit source | editbeta]

After graduation from Berkeley, he became a professor of economics at San Francisco State University. In subsequent years, he worked as a business consultant and television commentator on subjects of foreign policy. He eventually became a senior advisor to various U.S. Senators and in 1980 was elected to the U.S. Congress, where he remained until his death in February 2008.[8] Recalling his early life, he announced his retirement by stating to Congress, "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."[8]

Personal and family life[edit source | editbeta]

Lantos spoke English fluently, but retained his native Hungarian accent. During the German occupation of Hungary he met Annette Tilleman (or Tillemann), whose family escaped to Switzerland. They used Swedish passports issued by Raoul Wallenberg. After Hungary was liberated, she and her family returned to Budapest where she and Lantos met again. They married in 1950 after emigrating to the U.S. and remained married until his death from cancer in 2008.[12] Annette Lantos is a niece of Jolie Gabor, whose brother Sebastian was Mrs. Lantos' father, making actresses Zsa Zsa, Magda and Eva Gabor, Jolie's daughters, all originally from Budapest, Annette Lantos's cousins.[13]

Lantos and his wife Annette had two daughters, Annette and Katrina, and 17 grandchildren. His daughter Annette was married to Timber Dick, "an independent businessman in Colorado",[14] until his accidental death in 2008.[15][16]

Their daughter Katrina, is married to ambassador and former U.S. Representative from New Hampshire, Richard Swett, and was herself a candidate for Congress in New Hampshire. One of Lantos' grandchildren, Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, is a noted opera singer and activist for organ donation. Lantos considered himself a secular Jew.[17] His wife and two daughters converted to Mormonism.[18]

Political career and positions[edit source | editbeta]

Lantos made his first run for office in 1980, when he defeated one-term Republican Congressman Bill Royer by 5,700 votes. He never faced another contest nearly that close, and was reelected 13 times.

Lantos earned a reputation in the Congress as a champion for various human rights causes, such as having Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang testify at a congressional hearing, when the company turned over the email records of two Chinese dissidents to the Chinese government, allowing them to be traced and one sentenced to jail.[19][20]

Lantos was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus[21] and repeatedly called for reforms to the nation's health-care system, reduction of the national budget deficit and the national debt, repeal of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, and has opposed Social Security privatization efforts. He supported same-sex marriage rights and marijuana for medical use, was a strong proponent of gun control[22] and was adamantly pro-choice.[23]

Lantos was a well-known advocate on behalf of the environment, receiving consistently high ratings from the League of Conservation Voters and other environmental organizations for his legislative record.[24] His long-standing efforts to protect open space brought thousands of acres under the protection of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including Mori Point, Sweeney Ridge and — most recently — Rancho Corral de Tierra, which will keep its watersheds and delicate habitats free from development permanently.[25][26] In 2005 he opposed an effort to expand public use of the Farallon Islands, a protected wildlife haven.

Lantos consistently championed local transportation projects that need federal funds and, given his seniority in Congress, proved successful at delivering this support.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Lantos

Lantos initially supported the Iraq War, but from 2006 onward made increasingly critical statements about the conduct of the war, and as the chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs he held 20 oversight hearings on the war in 2007. (See separate section below about the war in Iraq.)

Foreign affairs issues[edit source | editbeta]

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon with Lantos and his wife, Annette Lantos

Lantos served as the chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Through its more than 20 years of work, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus[27] — of which Lantos was co-chair with Representative Frank Wolf — has covered a wide range of human rights issues, including speaking for Christians in Saudi Arabia and Sudan to practice their faith, helping Tibetans to retain their culture and religion in Tibet, and advocating for other minorities worldwide. Lantos’s efforts to protect religious freedom in 2004 resulted in a bill to attempt to stop the spread of anti-semitism.[28]

Lantos was involved with his colleagues on the International Relations Committee on many decisions that affected other aspects of American foreign policy. Lantos spoke out against waste, fraud and abuse in the multi-billion-dollar U.S. reconstruction program in Iraq, and warned that the U.S. could lose Afghanistan to the Taliban if the Bush administration failed to take decisive action to halt the current decline in political stability there.

Lantos, as the ranking Democrat on the International Relations Committee, tried to disrupt U.S. military aid to Egypt, argued that the Egyptian military had made insufficient efforts to stop the flow of money and weapons across the Egyptian border to Hamas in Gaza, and had not contributed troops to internationally-supported peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Lantos was a strong advocate for Israel.

1991 Gulf War