Congress: Apple founder Steve Jobs changed our lives

{mosads}According to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Jobs “brought joy to millions.” She tweeted shortly after the news broke Wednesday night: “Steve Jobs was a visionary, a risktaker, an entrepreneur, and a creative genius who brought joy to millions.”  

One of several White House tweets following up on President Obama’s press release noting Jobs’s death raised a common theme of Jobs as a bold, quintessentially American risk-taker. Obama called Jobs “brave,” “bold,” and “talented.”

Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.), who represents Silicon Valley, pointed to risk-taking by invoking another American, tweeting, “In #SteveJobs, we lost a titan of innovation. He embodied the spirit of Silicon Valley. Our region will miss ‘the Thomas Edison of our time.’” 

Jobs “changed the world,” wrote Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.). 



“Steve Jobs turned a vision of the future into reality for millions. He was an icon of American innovation. #SteveJobsLegacy,” tweeted House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).


A more philosophical take came from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who reflected in a tweet on Jobs’s impact on humanity: “Jobs’ life is a testament to the value of the individual, living in freedom, seeking to improve the human condition.”

Jobs died at age 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He had stepped down as head of Apple in August. 

—Alicia M. Cohn contributed.