Tom Lantos Biography

Tom Lantos was a long time democratic representative of California, who was the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress. He represented a district that included his hometown of San Mateo and the southwest region of San Fransisco. Lantos was known for being a critic of communism, supporter of Israel, and a strong defender of human and animal rights. Last year he became chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. His career lasted almost 30 years, during which time he was often critical of China's human rights record. In 2006, he was arrested in Washington during a protest against the mass killings in Darfur. Lantos was one of the five Holocaust survivors featured in the film "The Last Days" that won best documentary feature at the 1998 Oscars.