Pelosi: 'America Is More True to Its Founding Ideals Because Tom Lantos Chose to...

Pelosi: 'America Is More True to Its Founding Ideals Because Tom Lantos Chose
to Call This Land His Home'

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke
on the floor tonight in memory of Chairman Tom Lantos, who passed away early
yesterday. Below are her remarks:
"Madam Speaker and my colleagues, yesterday morning when I received the
very sad news of Tom Lantos' passing, that call was followed very quickly by a
call from the President of the United States. He expressed 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' leadership. I told the President how
appreciative I know we would all be of his kind words and that I would convey
them to this House of Representatives.
"Madam Speaker, not only the House, but the Congress, indeed the entire
country has lost one of its most talented leaders and the world lost one of
its greatest champions of 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 dark corners of
oppression.
"From his earliest days in 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.
"Madam Speaker, I told some of our colleagues earlier that Tom and his
wife Annette were a team in every way, whether it was establishing the Human
Rights Caucus or working together for the benefit of his district, or our
country. 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 17 grandchildren. And these two daughters said to their parents,
'You lost your families in the Holocaust, we are bringing to you a new
family.' How proud Tom was of all of that.
"Having lived through 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 a commitment to the state of
Israel.
"Tom Lantos was not only a champion of human rights, he was an expert in
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 an extraordinary 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 fights for the people of China and
Tibet. I was proud that we had the opportunity together, and 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
along with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, who was a co-author of that
legislation.
"He fought to end the genocide in Darfur and recently helped enact
legislation to crack down on the Sudanese regime. And he worked to strengthen
sanctions against the military junta in Burma and for the release of Aung San
Suu Kyi.
"In just his first year as Chairman for the Foreign Affairs Committee,
Chairman 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 planet 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.
"It was one of my privileges of my service in Congress to work with Tom on
behalf of the people of San Francisco. He will long be remembered for his
efforts to expand and protect the Golden Gate National Recreational Area,
which is one of the nation's most visited national parks and a treasure for
Bay Area residents.
"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 12th Congressional
District.
"Tom Lantos called himself 'an American by choice.' America is a stronger
nation, a more caring nation, and 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, and their 17 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 at this sad time.
"Goodbye, Tom, my friend. It was an honor to call you colleague; it was a
privilege to serve with you and a joy to be your friend."
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

Brendan Daly, or Nadeam Elshami, +1-202-226-7616, both for The Office of the
Speaker of the House