Speeches
Pelosi Honors Legacy of Bob Hattoy
04/18/2007
“Today we celebrate the life and
contributions of Bob Hattoy: environmentalist, activist, and friend. We also
pay tribute to the many who loved him, and grieve his loss.
“As an environmentalist, Bob
considered courage and creativity and courage to be renewable resources. A
committed progressive, he built bipartisan coalitions, working across the aisle
to bring people together to protect our natural resources.
“We Californians, for whom the
environment is an ethic, are so proud of the national work Bob did with the
Sierra Club, with the Clinton-Gore administration, and with the California Fish
and Game Department to protect our precious national resources. Today,
Californians and visitors who look out at our beautiful coastline have Bob to
thank for his years of work to help save our coast from offshore oil
drilling.
“For the environment, Bob was a
force for nature. As an activist, he was a force of nature.
“Intensely patriotic, Bob believed
that our country’s greatness was reflected in the inclusion of all people in the
American family; in human rights and health care, particularly AIDS; and in the
dignity and respect with which we treat each other.
“Bob’s courage and creativity were
manifest in the work he did for people with AIDS. Before he became sick, Bob
was active in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and resources for gay and lesbian
people who were facing severe discrimination and being denied lifesaving
treatments. Bob understood that battling AIDS meant battling a disease as well
as battling discrimination. And when he personally became part of that
struggle, Bob made a life-changing decision: rather than retreat, he stepped
forward, shining a light on his situation and challenging the conscience of the
country.
“With his historic address to the
1992 Democratic National Convention and his work with the White House Office on
AIDS, Bob was a public face of equality: serving as a gay man with AIDS at the
leadership table at the highest levels of politics and government; helping shape
a public health response to this national tragedy.
“I worked with him from the House
Appropriations Committee to create a national and bipartisan response to the
crisis of AIDS. Bob was always a voice for resources, and a voice for dignity.
“I am proud to have called Bob my
dear friend for many years. Since we lost Bob, many of us here have been sharing
years of stories, anecdotes and witticisms. Bob’s insights were often
off-color, yet always on the mark. Bob loved people and had a gift for using
humor to face the most serious of life’s challenges with a light heart.
“When I saw Bob just over 100 days
ago at the beginning of the new Congress, he was, as usual, witty and hopeful.
We reflected briefly – and humorously - on some of the political events of the
past 20 years, and Bob expressed great hopes for the new Congress, and for the
challenges we were preparing to address.
“Although he lived with AIDS for
more than 15 years, AIDS took Bob from us too soon. Today, as we grieve, we
recognize Bob Pellham, Bob’s longtime partner, as well as his brother Stephen
and his sister Debbie, who all feel his loss acutely.
“As we go forward, we recommit
ourselves to finding a cure, to providing treatment with dignity, and to
bringing