Read below for reactions from friends, supporters and colleagues of Paul Weyrich, who passed away Thursday morning at age 66.
 

Ed Feulner, Heritage Foundation President:

Moral courage was a defining trait of Paul himself. On any policy issue that turned on a core principle, he never failed to take a public stand-regardless of how that stand might affect his professional or personal relationships. A political animal of the highest order, he always chose principle over any temporary "strategic" abandonment of principle designed to win some transitory political victory.

This moral courage was matched with the physical courage he displayed in the face of physical disability in his later years.

Paul Weyrich was a visionary, a builder, a moral and political leader. America is a better and stronger country because of his contributions. He will be sorely missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, including son Steve, who currently works at Heritage.

Robert "Mike" Duncan, Republican National Committee Chairman:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Paul Weyrich, whose life work was instrumental in the development of conservative thought. As the first president of the Heritage Foundation and respected leader of other conservative organizations and coalitions, Paul's service to America has embodied and further advanced the Republican Party's core values of limited government, lower taxes, and individual responsibility.

We are saddened by the passing of Paul Weyrich, but we know that his contributions will continue to resonate for generations.

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council President:

My good friend Paul Weyrich is gone. He was just sixty-six years old. Many people will be surprised at that. That's because we've watched Paul for decades as he battled diabetes, as he suffered amputations, but never, never any loss of his fighting spirit. Paul Weyrich has been a fixture in Washington, D.C. for more than thirty years.

He fathered the religious conservative movement in American politics. He didn't over-intellectualize about Christians "jumping into the fray." He recognized early that the fray had jumped onto us. Liberal bureaucrats were coming after us -- in our churches, in our schools, and in our families. Wherever a Planned Parenthood worker is breaking parents' hearts by leading their children into sin, we have a grievance against our government. Paul Weyrich was the first to show us how we could effectively petition our government for redress of our grievances.

May our Lord keep His servant, Paul. And I pray our Lord will also comfort the loving Weyrich family."

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Strong supporter of the Free Congress Foundation:

No matter the challenges Paul was facing in his personal life, he was always acutely aware of the challenges facing our nation and devoted his entire life to strengthening our country. His ability to persuade without berating, and teach without demeaning are lessons that would serve many on both sides of the aisle well.

He wasn't just an outstanding leader for conservatives; he was a steadfast confidant and a devout man of faith. I will miss his infectious personality and our weekly meetings. My prayers are with his wife Joyce, their five children and many grandchildren during this difficult time.

It isn't often that when a man of Paul's stature passes that we can say his death was a loss of more than a leader - in Paul we also lose a friend.

Gary Bauer, President of American Values and Chairman of the Campaign for Working Families:

My heart broke today when I heard of the passing of Paul Weyrich. The conservative movement lost a great strategist. America lost a great patriot, and I've lost a great friend. His legacy lives on in all that he has built, and all those whom he has challenged and trained to take up the mantle of leadership.  Our prayers are with his family today.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH):

Paul was one of the giants of the conservative movement - a man committed to family, faith, and preserving and expanding freedom both here in America and around the world. His passing is a great loss for conservatism, and for our country. Paul was right from the start, as a volunteer for Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign. The Heritage Foundation - which he co-founded and helped organize - provided a roadmap for Ronald Reagan's presidency and continues to serve as a leading public policy research institute for the conservative movement.

For more than four decades, Paul shaped American politics through his leadership, his writing, his activism, and his passion. He will be missed.

Mike Pence, House Republican Conference Chairman:

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and mentor, Paul M. Weyrich.

Paul M. Weyrich was a giant in American politics, an inspiring leader and a friend to generations of conservatives. As the chairman and chief operating officer of the Free Congress Foundation and first president of The Heritage Foundation, Paul M. Weyrich was a founding father of the modern conservative movement. His influence reached from the corridors of power in our nation's Capital to the townhalls and churches of heartland America and he will be deeply missed.

I also grieve the passing of Paul M. Weyrich with a sense of personal loss. I have benefited immeasurably from his counsel, friendship and Christian example. Like so many who admired him across this nation, I am certain that heaven is richer but my life is poorer because of the passing of Paul M. Weyrich. May God rest his soul and bring comfort to his family and friends during this time of loss.

Jeb Hensarling, Republican Study Committee Chairman:

Paul Weyrich was a leader within the conservative movement and a man of great principle and faith. He dedicated his life to ensuring that conservatives would not only have the ideas, but the tools necessary to fight for and defend liberty each and every day. Paul was truly the father of modern grassroots conservative activism.

Though his passing is a great loss, Paul Weyrich's contributions to our movement will continue to shape the minds and lives of conservatives across the country. The Heritage Foundation, which he co-founded, is an intellectual home for all conservatives. And without Paul, the Republican Study Committee, which he worked to create, would not exist today. His ideas and principles will be carried on by not just the Republican Study Committee and the Heritage foundation, but by conservatives across the country that rely on the institutions which Paul worked to establish.

On behalf of all conservatives in the House of Representatives, I offer our deepest prayers and condolences to the Weyrich family.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA):

Paul was a giant in the conservative movement. His tireless efforts on behalf of advancing conservative policies have left this nation a better place. A man of principle and character, he will be greatly missed. I feel fortunate to have called Paul a friend.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC):

Paul was a founding father of the conservative movement and a man of principle and compassion. His success in establishing the American Legislative Exchange Council, The Heritage Foundation, and the Free Congress Foundation has been instrumental in the development of the modern conservative movement around the world. He leaves in his absence a legacy of leadership that will have a lasting impact on generations to come.

I am particularly grateful to have worked with Paul through the Krieble Institute where we traveled to Bulgaria and western Siberia to promote the development of democracy and help those nations recover from communism. In fact, due to his vision of promoting democracy, Paul was recognized by the KGB as an 'agent of influence', which he proudly acknowledged.

At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Incoming Chairman of the Republican Study Committee:

America and conservatives lost a giant today. Like all who admired him, I am deeply saddened to learn of Paul Weyrich's passing. Paul was a man of great passion who made our nation better by fighting for that in which he truly believed. His legacy will be one of enthusiasm, ingenuity, and unyielding principle. Only because of the hard work of Paul Weyrich do conservatives have the voice we enjoy today.

Though Paul is in a better place today, we will honor his life by continuing to positively and actively defend the ideals for which he lived.