Steve Cohen: “I came here to speak about a topic which I will address shortly, but I couldn't not take the moment to reflect on the…”

“I came here to speak about a topic which I will address shortly, but I couldn't not take the moment to reflect on the passing of a great man who served in this Chamber since 1989, Representative Donald Payne of New Jersey, who passed away this morning. Representative Payne sat in this section, was a quiet, righteous, courageous man with whom I had the good fortunate to travel at the request of and sponsorship of CARE and the Gates Foundation to Rwanda and to the Congo last August. He cared about children greatly. He cared about education. He cared about people, and was very upset some years back when Don Imus, the radio shock jock, said some wrongful things about the Rutgers women's basketball team that cost Mr. Imus his position. And that brings me to what I was going to speak about today. Yesterday, I mentioned that I slept well on my Sleep Number bed, and I slept well on my Sleep Number bed last night because they canceled their advertising on the Rush Limbaugh show. I mentioned that advertisers are accessories to the crime when radio people go too far and destroy someone's character, or try to, and make libelous statements. Limbaugh did that when he called Sandra Fluke some names, said she did some things or whatever, that were wrong, totally wrong. Eleven advertisers have pulled their advertising because they don't want to, in the future, be accessories to such conduct.…”