Frank Pallone: “Today would have been Congressman Don Payne, Jr.'s, 67th birthday. Don was more than a colleague to me. He was family.…”

“Today would have been Congressman Don Payne, Jr.'s, 67th birthday. Don was more than a colleague to me. He was family. He called me Uncle Frank, and that meant a lot to me. In the House, our names often appeared right next to each other on the voting board, Pallone, P-A, and Payne, P-A-Y. Many times, when we were voting on civil rights, housing, or issues affecting urban communities, I would look to see how Don voted because to me he was the conscience of our delegation. He was someone who grounded big national decisions in live reality. Don dedicated his life to public service, from the Newark City Council to county freeholder to Congress, and always it was trying to improve peoples' lives on healthcare, the environment, or public safety. Happy birthday, Don. Your legacy continues, and we are carrying the work forward.”