Tom Lantos: “I strongly support H.J. Res. 87, which commemorates the contributions of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the…”

“I strongly support H.J. Res. 87, which commemorates the contributions of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the anniversary of his birth. As this legislation so eloquently states, FDR's leadership ``was instrumental in extending freedom and democracy around the globe, and uniting the world confronted by tyranny and aggression.'' Furthermore, he led the United States out of the Great Depression by initiating programs that provided employment and social services to the millions of people whose hopes had been dashed by joblessness and severe economic conditions nationwide. Mr. Speaker, I have a particular connection to FDR's legacy: As a young man living in war-torn Europe, I wrote an essay about his economic policies that helped secure a scholarship to the University of Washington. I went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics and to teach the subject at university level for 30 years. And when I later was honored with the opportunity to become a Member of Congress, I was able to join the House International Relations Committee to help build on the alliances that FDR forged, and--through co-founding and guiding the Congressional Human Rights Caucus--to further the principles for which President Roosevelt stood. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I raised my voice in protest to a preposterous proposal late last year to replace the portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the U.S. dime with a picture of Ronald Reagan.”