Rep. Tom Lantos dies

California Rep. Tom Lantos, who recently had to step down from his duties, has died at the age of 80. Up until his retirement, Lantos was one of the hardest-working members of Congress. He was always right in the thick of the foreign-policy debate in his capacity as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign ...

California Rep. Tom Lantos, who recently had to step down from his duties, has died at the age of 80. Up until his retirement, Lantos was one of the hardest-working members of Congress. He was always right in the thick of the foreign-policy debate in his capacity as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. A Holocaust survivor, Lantos was one of Congress's most-outspoken advocates of human rights. Even as he harshly condemned the behavior of countries like Iran, he remained in favor of hard-nosed negotiations with the national interest in mind.

California Rep. Tom Lantos, who recently had to step down from his duties, has died at the age of 80. Up until his retirement, Lantos was one of the hardest-working members of Congress. He was always right in the thick of the foreign-policy debate in his capacity as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. A Holocaust survivor, Lantos was one of Congress’s most-outspoken advocates of human rights. Even as he harshly condemned the behavior of countries like Iran, he remained in favor of hard-nosed negotiations with the national interest in mind.

I interviewed Lantos back in March for FP and found him very gracious and engaging — a doting grandfather and a faithful public servant. He’ll be missed.

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