Pelosi Floor Speech on the Passing of Dr. Paul Farmer

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives on the passing of Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder of Partners In Health and a pioneer of global health. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a brilliant doctor and pioneer of global health, Dr. Paul Farmer, who sadly passed away last week.

Dr. Farmer dedicated his entire life to improving the lives of others. As Co-Founder of Partners In Health, alongside Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Ophelia Dahl, he forever altered our understanding of the fight against global poverty and how to care for those in need.

In his mission To Repair the World – that's his book – he brought his unique and innovative brand of compassion and care to fight HIV in Haiti, tuberculosis in Peru, Ebola in Sierra Leone, to name just a few, while helping transform public health outcomes in Rwanda.

At the Harvard Medical School, he inspired a generation of aspiring doctors to pursue careers in global health.

Personally, it was a privilege to see his saintly work firsthand on our Congressional delegation visit to Haiti in 2015 after the earthquake, when we visited one of his initiatives to address the needs of orphaned children.

May it be a comfort to his dear wife Didi and their three children that Congress and the country and the world join them in mourning this visionary hero. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.