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After serving in Congress for nearly 30 years, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Tom Lantos announced today that he will not seek re-election next term. Lantos was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.
Throughout his distinguished career, Lantos has striven to make human rights a core value of American foreign policy. He is co-Chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and has used his position to champion a number of human rights issues, from ending apartheid in South Africa to more recently holding hearings on the situation in Myanmar. In 2006 -- as a 77 year old -- Lantos was arrested in a Darfur protest outside the Washington embassy of the Government of Sudan.
Lantos' commitment to human rights translates into a deep appreciation for the work of the United Nations. Few members of congress are as supportive of the United Nations as Congressman Lantos--and few are as knowledgeable of the UN's inner workings as he. Lantos' leadership will be sorely missed.
Ed note: I have the pleasure of knowing first-hand Congressman Lantos' commitment to human rights. Since October, I have helped to coordinate a program called the Humanity in Action / Lantos Fellowship which brings ten European university students dedicated to social justice and human rights to Capitol Hill for five month internships in a bi-partisan group of congressional offices.