Meanwhile, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill) has taken over that committee's chairmanship from Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) pursuant to a decision by the House Republican Caucus limiting chairmanships on any committee to six years. Hyde previously had been chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which led the impeachment effort against President Bill Clinton. While Hyde was assigned a new committee chairmanship, Gilman was not as fortunate.

Lantos, who represents the San Mateo area, is a Hungarian immigrant who credits Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg for his survival of the nazi Holocaust. Before his election to Congress in 1980, Lantos was an economics professor at San Francisco State University.

At the end of the last congressional session, Lantos and Gilman both were quite critical of Russian statements concerning the mysterious death of Wallenberg in a Soviet prison. Although the Russians acknowledged that the diplomat had died in a Soviet prison, Lantos said in a statement:

"What we do not know-but what we have been seeking to find out for decases-is the fate of this hero of the Hoocaust. I call upon Russian government officials to provide us with information-backed up with documents and testimony of eye witnesses-regarding where and when he was imprisoned and what his fate really is." -- Donald H. Harrison