Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, died Feb. 12 from complications due to cancer.
Lantos was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December and announced on Jan. 2 he would not seek re-election, according to a statement from his office.
Lantos assumed control of the committee with jurisdiction over foreign military sales in January 2007. Lantos also was a member of the Congressional United Kingdom Caucus formed in 2006 to promote a variety of defense, foreign policy, and trade issues, including the development of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), that impact the United States’ relations with its long-standing ally.
Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) has been named acting chairman of the committee. Berman is expected to become official chairman of the committee sometime after March 1, a spokeswoman in his office said.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) noted Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress.
“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.