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Chairman Lantos Loved America (Rep. Don Manzullo)

by Ill. GOP Rep. Don Manzullo - 02/12/08 9:18 AM ET

I first met Chairman Lantos in 1993, when we both served on the House International Relations Committee. I was honored to join the Human Rights Caucus that he created.

Chairman Lantos was a courageous leader, a Holocaust survivor who triumphed over evil to become a strong voice and living symbol of religious tolerance in America. In the mid 1990s, we traveled together to Europe as part of an interparliamentary exchange in which I witnessed firsthand the strength and conviction of his love for the United States when he challenged a group of Europeans who had questioned the American effort in World War II.

Personally, Chairman Lantos was a good friend and colleague. Freda and I send our thoughts and prayers to Tom’s wife, Annette, his daughters, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren on the passing of this great man and champion of human rights in the world.

Tags Don Manzullo Family Relation Person Relation Religion Tom Lantos United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs