Political Quotes

“I thank my friend. Mr. Speaker, I can't believe that Don Payne is not with us today. I'm looking over there where he would often sit, and I would come down on the floor and ask him to do a 1 minute or a Special Order. {time} 1410 He was very proud of his African American roots, and it was one of the reasons that he would often go to Africa and champion so many causes for those in Africa. Don cared so deeply about his hometown of Newark and the other towns that he represented. He was always looking out for those in need--the disadvantaged and the poor. Those were the people that he cared about, and he spent so much time trying to deal with their problems and making their lives better. I think more than anything else I remember Don's smile. Don always felt that things could get better and that we could work together. I think a lot of people don't know that his district was very diverse. There were many African Americans, but there were many people of other nationalities. We would often talk about the Italian Americans that he had lived with, grew up with, and worked with in his district. Don always felt that we could have a better world, that Democrats and Republicans could work together and that people could work across ethnic and racial barriers. And he always made me feel, no matter how down I was on a particular day, that this place was important and that we can make a difference in people's lives. So I will sorely miss him.…”