Holocaust survivor Tom Lantos, member of congress, is dead at 80
Rep. Tom Lantos, 80, a California Democrat whose experience as the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress shaped his concern for human rights and his staunch view in favor of U.S. military intervention abroad, died today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. He had esophageal cancer.
Lantos, born in Budapest to Hungarian Jews, served 14 terms in the House of Representatives. He is the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress. His district included southwest San Francisco and much of San Mateo County, where he was known for supporting the socially liberal agenda of his constituents. Last year, he announced he would not seek reelection because of his cancer treatment.
President Bush issued a statement praising Lantos as "a man of character and a champion of human rights. . . . As the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, Tom was a living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent at the hands of evil men."
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Lantos, born in Budapest to Hungarian Jews, served 14 terms in the House of Representatives. He is the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress. His district included southwest San Francisco and much of San Mateo County, where he was known for supporting the socially liberal agenda of his constituents. Last year, he announced he would not seek reelection because of his cancer treatment.
President Bush issued a statement praising Lantos as "a man of character and a champion of human rights. . . . As the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, Tom was a living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent at the hands of evil men."