Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) released the following statement on the death of Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee: 

 “Congressman Tom Lantos was a gentleman’s gentleman.  For decades, he has been an inspiration to those privileged to know him and to know about his work.  While serving the people of California’s 12th Congressional District, he became the conscience of the Congress.  

 “From the time he was a young man, Tom Lantos opposed tyranny, fighting against the horrors of Nazism during World War II and rebelling against the early days of Communism in Hungary.  In the years thereafter, he bore witness to those wartime experiences as a tireless fighter for human rights around the world.  Tom Lantos’ unwavering commitment to the dignity of human life led him to speak out on behalf of those in need. 

 “His expertise in international affairs was widely sought out by his Congressional colleagues and our country has benefited enormously from his service in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  Tom Lantos was a man of immeasurable integrity who was not afraid to use his tremendous credibility as a force for positive change in the world.  

 “My thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Annette, his two daughters Annette and Katrina, and his entire family.”

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