Bill Pascrell: “Thank you, Congressman Smith, for your great service to your State and your country. Madam Speaker, we've lost a great…”

“Thank you, Congressman Smith, for your great service to your State and your country. Madam Speaker, we've lost a great man. When Senator Lautenberg passed away Monday morning, last Monday, I lost a good friend. The Silk City has produced many great individuals and characters alike, but few, if any, have a life story like that of Frank Lautenberg. Like me, Frank grew up on the streets of Paterson--literally. Both of us came from families of immigrants who came to Paterson, like pilgrims, like Plymouth Rock. It was Paterson/Plymouth Rock. That's what it was, when you come down to it. We had the same dreams. Many thousands in our city had the same dream. Through hard work and determination, we learned that you could provide your children with a better life and a successful future. Despite all their dreams for their young son, I don't think that Sam and Molly Lautenberg, Frank's dutiful parents, deceased, ever could have imagined all that Frank would eventually achieve. Only in America. But then again, Frank never forgot the sacrifices family made for him. He learned what real hard work was from his father, who labored into the silk mills of Paterson to provide for his family. He learned how to persevere from his mother, who raised him in the face of poverty. They lived in four or five different places in Paterson as they moved around. His dad passed away when his dad was 43 years of age.…”