Frank Pallone: “I would like to speak about my dear friend and colleague, Donald Payne, who passed away this morning. I saw him on…”

“I would like to speak about my dear friend and colleague, Donald Payne, who passed away this morning. I saw him on Saturday for the last time, and I can't think of anybody who in this House has been closer to me and someone who made it so much better for us to be in Congress, not only for all of us as colleagues but also for the rest of the world. Donald always made me smile. Donald was a very serious person who cared so much about his constituents in Norwich and the rest of the towns that he represented in New Jersey and really reached out to the rest of the world. He was always looking out for the concerns of the poor and the disadvantaged and the people in need, whether it was their health care or whether they had adequate food or housing. But I think more than anything else, I remember his smile. He would always be happy. He would always have a joke to say; and, frankly, in dealing with all the serious issues that he dealt with and he cared so much about, both here at home, as well as overseas, it was always nice to have someone that you could call a friend, that you could confide in, that you could talk to about your own problems as well, but always with that smile, always with that joke, always with the ability to say, Frank, you know, let's not take ourselves too seriously, even though we have a lot of serious work to do. I will sorely miss him.…”