Bill Pascrell: “To Virginia Foxx and to David Price, I would expect you two to be here. I really would. To the gentleman and the…”

“To Virginia Foxx and to David Price, I would expect you two to be here. I really would. To the gentleman and the gentlewoman and to the staff, I sat quietly in the back, but I know what you felt about Walter Jones. I say thank you to you for serving him as he served you and all of us. In a moment when our Nation cries out for principled leadership, the loss of Walter Jones is especially difficult. The challenges we face right now really demand the wisdom of men and women like Walter Jones. The absence of his voice in our Chamber is devastating. Walter Jones was a real patriot. He was gentle but persistent. He was fervent but not self-indulged. He was a real winner. Our tenures in this place overlapped almost completely, so I had the pleasure of working closely with Walter many, many times. There is no Member I have served with, man or woman, Democrat or Republican, old or young, who was more forthright or was more courteous or kind. He was revered for his generosity because that is exactly who he was. Walter was my friend, and I was his friend. We had been leading an effort, both of us, to get Congress to reassert its prerogatives and apply oversight of the executive branch of government. Walter stood up by himself for this. If operating in the minority was a lonely crusade for us, imagine how it was for Walter to cast those votes all by himself.…”