David Brock
American journalist (1962-)
Thomas Peter Lantoswas a Hungarian- American politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1981 until his death in 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state’s 11th congressional district until 1993.
Table of Contents
About the Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter Lantoswas a Hungarian- American politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1981 until his death in 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state’s 11th congressional district until 1993. After redistricting, he served from the 12th congressional district, which included both the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of the southwestern part of San Francisco.
Lantos, who served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his last term, announced in early January 2008 that he would not run for re-election because of cancer of the esophagus. He died before finishing his term. A Hungarian Jew, Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to have served in the United States Congress; he survived the genocide with help from Raoul Wallenberg. In speaking before the House of Representatives after his death, 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.” 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”.
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 promote, defend, and advocate internationally recognized human rights”. In the final weeks of his life, Lantos asked that a non-profit be established to carry on the work he felt so passionately about. The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice was founded later that year to carry out that wish. In 2011, the Tom Lantos Institute was set up in Budapest to promote tolerance and support minority issues in Central Europe and Eastern Europe, as well as around the world.
17 Quotes by Tom Lantos
- 1.
The leader of Iran made one of the most repugnant remarks the international community has heard since Adolf Hitler.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 2.
Google, Microsoft and Yahoo should be developing new technologies to bypass government sensors and barriers to the Internet; but instead, they agreed to guard the gates themselves.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 3.
Hezbollah’s contempt for human suffering is total, as it showed once again this morning when its rockets murdered two Israeli Arab children in Nazareth.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 4.
On July 18, we will mark the 12th anniversary of the senseless loss of 85 lives in the bombing of the Jewish Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 5.
Despite its enormous power and wealth, China’s ruling elite remains absolutely petrified that the free flow of information will undermine its political legitimacy, particularly among China’s younger generation.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 6.
Our resolution urges all Latin American and Caribbean countries to designate al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as terrorist organizations.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 7.
The Lord gave us Ten Commandments, but the bill before the House today gives us 39.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 8.
So rather than face the bitter truth, China has placed severe restrictions on the Internet and enlisted America’s high-tech companies as their Internet police.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 9.
Insurgents have capitalized on popular resentment and anger towards the United States and the Iraqi government to build their own political, financial and military support, and the faith of Iraqi citizens in their new government has been severely undermined.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 10.
We are optimistic, but we are optimistic in a cautious fashion.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 11.
The patience of the American public with dilatory diplomatic delays will be very limited.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 12.
40 percent of North Korean children suffer from stunted growth. 20 percent are underweight.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 13.
How will decent people in the region ever believe in peace if Arab terrorists interpret every gesture of peace as a display of weakness and then act accordingly?
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 14.
A stable Iraq at peace with its neighbors will remain elusive until we improve both the security and the economic environment in Iraq.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 15.
Our neighbor Canada has 2,200 troops serving in Afghanistan. Canada has also assumed responsibility for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar, which was originally established by our own military.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 16.
The Chinese leadership hoped that the world would soon forget the Tiananmen Square massacre. Our job in Congress is to ensure that we never forget those who lost their lives in Tiananmen Square that day or the pro-democracy cause for which they fought.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)
- 17.
Let me start with Yahoo. As we meet today, a Chinese citizen who had the courage to speak his mind on the Internet is in prison because Yahoo chose to share his name and address with the Chinese Government.
Tom LantosU.S. Representative from California (1981-2008)