Several Democratic lawmakers from California posted tributes to former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) on Tuesday after news broke that she had died.
Tauscher, who also held a key role negotiating arms treaties in the Obama administration’s State Department, died of pneumonia at age 67.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a statement applauding Tauscher’s leadership style and commitment to nonproliferation.
{mosads}”Ellen was an extraordinary force for progress who made a difference. To watch Ellen wield the gavel was to observe a masterclass in steady, steely leadership,” Pelosi said.
“Her smart, strategic leadership, whether presiding over the House, chairing the Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee or leading America’s arms control strategy, strengthened our democratic institutions and kept America safe,” she added. “Her relentless commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, which is a pillar of America’s national security, beautifully honored the oath we all take: to support and defend the Constitution, and protect the American people.”
Tauscher also chaired two of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) Senate campaigns in the 1990s. Feinstein said in a statement posted to Twitter that Tauscher “had a huge heart and was always ready with a story.”
“When Ellen put her mind to politics, she was a force,” Feinstein added.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who is running for president, on Twitter posted fondly about his time as a 20-year-old intern for Tauscher, whom he described as a “mentor and dear friend.”
Fellow Democratic California Rep. Barbara Lee described her former colleague as a “passionate public servant, and a champion for global peace and diplomacy.”
And Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) said that he was Tauscher’s driver when he was a college student, adding that she offered “great advice.”