“Yesterday I received word that Congressman Tom Lantos, from California’s 12th district, will leave public office after his current term due to cancer of the esophagus.  I am deeply saddened by both the news of his illness and of his immanent retirement.  I had the distinct honor to work for Congressman Lantos in Washington, when I was working for then-Congressman Chuck Schumer on the staff of the Judiciary Committee, and I remember Congressman Lantos as always being a voice of conscience and principal.  Starting in his youth in Hungary, where he was a member of the anti-Nazi underground, through his entire career, Congressman Lantos has been a beacon of unswerving commitment to Jewish values in the public sphere.  His presence in the United States Congress will be missed—it is rare to find in politics a voice of such moral clarity.”

Council Member David Yassky

33rd District, Brooklyn