Pelosi Statement on Passing of First Lady Rosalynn Carter

San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the passing of First Lady Rosalynn Carter:

“Today, our nation mourns the loss of First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a saintly and revered public servant.  A leader deeply driven by her profound faith, compassion and kindness, First Lady Carter achieved transformational change that has brought hope and healing to countless families across America and all around the world.

“Moved by the stories of Georgia families touched by mental illness, she admirably took up their cause in the Governor’s Mansion – despite the intense stigma of the time.  Later, First Lady Carter served as honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health: offering recommendations that became the foundation for decades of change, including in the landmark Mental Health Systems Act.  At the same time, First Lady Carter was a powerful champion of our nation’s tens of millions of family and professional caregivers, a legacy carried on by the Georgia Southwestern State University Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.

“First Lady Carter was an indispensable confidant and advisor to her devoted partner in service and adoring husband of 77 years, President Jimmy Carter.  On the world stage, First Lady Carter was a pioneer.  Her historic, high-stakes diplomatic mission to Latin America in 1977 ushered in a new era of engagement in the region.  Two years later, she became the first sitting First Lady to address the World Health Organization, where she argued that mental health was an aspect of physical health – and that health is a human right.

“After leaving the White House, she remained an active and unwavering force for good.  Together, through their Carter Center and involvement in Habitat for Humanity, President and First Lady Carter have offered a beacon of light to every corner of the world.  Their beautiful love and partnership was truly a wonder for all to behold.  May it be a comfort to President Carter, their children Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy, their many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and all of her loved ones that so many all over the globe are praying for them at this sad time.”