Barbara Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for bringing us together tonight. It is hard to stand here and look over here.…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for bringing us together tonight. It is hard to stand here and look over here. Where is Don? Every night, here he was speaking truth to power. Tonight, I rise with my colleagues in remembrance of our beloved friend and colleague, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. Now, I got to know and love Don before I actually met him. His proud father, our beloved Donald Payne, Sr., made sure of that. The entire Payne family was committed to service, extending to the next generation. Don Jr.'s son was an incredible intern in my office. He was brilliant. He was passionate. He was his father a few years younger. His son, I will tell you, made a major contribution to my office, and we were and became a better office because of Don Jr. Don Jr. was passionate. He was kind, he was gentle, and a brilliant man who was determined to not let his health challenges stop him from his visionary and his bold work. I remember traveling abroad with him. He would always take time, yes, for his medical treatments and be right back in our meetings, providing his insight on global affairs. He showed us how to live a full life, regardless of his difficulties. His loss will be immensely felt in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, where he worked tirelessly to rebuild our Nation's infrastructure, provide clean drinking water for disadvantaged communities, invest in minority-owned businesses, and bring awareness to colorectal cancer in the Black community.…”