[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 65 (Friday, May 1, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E639-E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF WARREN WEINSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2015

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the tragic death of 
Warren Weinstein, a U.S. development worker who was held captive by Al 
Qaeda from 2011 until 2015.
   Last week, we learned that Mr. Weinstein was an accidental victim of 
a U.S. drone strike that took place in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border 
region in January of this year. This tragedy has deprived a family of 
their loving husband, father, and grandfather, and it has deprived our 
country of a tireless champion of human rights and economic development 
among some of the world's poorest populations.
   Warren Weinstein dedicated over 40 years of his life to 
international development work. Throughout his career, he worked with 
vulnerable populations throughout Africa and South Asia. He served as 
Peace Corps country director in Togo and the Ivory Coast. Most 
recently, he spent 10 years working on economic development projects as 
an adviser to J.E. Austin Associates, a U.S. Agency for International 
Development (USAID) contractor, in Pakistan.
   Mr. Weinstein's life and approach to development work showcased the 
ideals of the institutions that he served: USAID, the Peace Corps, and 
others. He left the comforts of home and dedicated his career to 
improving the lives of others in countries that were not his own. He 
spoke seven languages and immersed himself in the local culture of the 
countries in which he worked. By all accounts, he had a warm, outgoing 
personality and a deep commitment to solving some of the world's most 
difficult problems.
   Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in offering our 
deepest condolences to Mr. Weinstein's family and friends, especially 
his wife Elaine, their daughters Alisa and Jennifer, and their 
families. His legacy will live on in Pakistan, Togo, the Ivory Coast, 
and the entire range of countries in which he worked, and his service 
to our country and the world will never be forgotten.

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