Update: Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi released a statement on fellow Democratic Representative Tom Lantos' death.
The passing of Tom Lantos is a profound loss for the Congress and for the nation and a terrible loss for me personally.
"As the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, Tom Lantos devoted his life to shining a bright light on dark corners of oppression. He used his chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee to empower the powerless and give voice to the voiceless throughout the world. Having lived through the worst evil known to mankind, Tom Lantos translated the experience into a lifetime commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism, Holocaust education, and a commitment to the state of Israel.
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The AP reports that:
Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died, his spokeswoman said Monday.
Lynne Weill said that Lantos, 80, passed away at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland.
Lantos, a Democrat who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, disclosed last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.
Keep reading.
Rep Lantos was on the list of Hillary Clinton endorsers.
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Rep. Lantos was a Huffington Post contributor who blogged about foreign affairs. His most recent contribution, submitted in November, discussed the Middle East Peace Conference in Annapolis, Maryland.
I want to commend the Administration for conducting a sober, serious, and hopeful conference on Middle East peace today. The task ahead is difficult, but the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue launched by today's conference creates new possibilities that the obstacles will be overcome. One thing is absolutely clear: there can be no peace without dialogue.In that regard, I was particularly pleased that the Administration invited Syria -- albeit under the guise of its membership in the Arab League "Follow-Up Committee ." And I am pleased that Syria chose to accept the invitation. This invitation constitutes recognition by the Administration that the only hope for peace with Syria is through dialogue, not isolation.
Read additional blogs by Rep. Tom Lantos.
Read more about Rep. Tom Lantos on his congressional website.