Donald M. Payne: “Thank you. I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Smith, for hosting this Special Order today. Madam Speaker, I come…”

“Thank you. I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Smith, for hosting this Special Order today. Madam Speaker, I come before you today saddened by the passing of a fellow New Jerseyan. He was a dear friend and colleague, the honorable and venerated Senator from New Jersey, Senator Frank Lautenberg. If anyone could embody the actual definition of the American Dream, it would be Frank Lautenberg. Born the son of Russian and Polish immigrants in Paterson, New Jersey, he grew up during the Great Depression. When war hit our shores, he bravely served the country he loved in World War II, and he was the last of our Senators to do so. When he returned home from war, Senator Lautenberg earned his degree on the GI Bill, which he later staunchly advocated for the extension of for our current men and women in uniform. And never taking for granted the opportunities that lay before him, after his graduation, he and three of his friends, with just an idea and an entrepreneurial spirit, began an extremely successful company, ADP. If you get a payroll check these days, it is likely ADP printed your check. I guess you could say Senator Lautenberg was the proof that anything is possible if you firmly believe in what you're doing and what you put your mind to. Later, he seamlessly transitioned from CEO of ADP to public servant, often demonstrating determination, grit, and leadership throughout his time in office that came to define Frank Lautenberg.…”