[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 1, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING DONALD PAYNE, JR.

  (Ms. ADAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Don Payne was one of a kind: From 
his impeccable fashion sense to our mutual love of hats; from his 
infectious sense of humor to his deep commitment to the people of north 
New Jersey.
  When I came to Congress, I went to Don to tell him that while I was 
born in North Carolina, I spent my formative years in his district in 
Newark and graduated from high school there. He never let me forget it.
  I always referred to him as my hometown guy, and he referred to me as 
his home girl. When I traveled to his district for a family member's 
funeral, he was insistent to show me around the city. When I couldn't 
make it to my high school reunion, Don went in my place.
  When a member of my staff who was born in Newark needed a copy of her 
birth certificate, Donald Payne made sure she got it. He was the first 
Member to come to North Carolina to attend my annual Adams Mad Hatters 
event. That is who Don was. He was a committed public servant, a loyal 
friend, and always lending a hand.
  To Bea and the triplets, my heart breaks for you, and I am lifting 
you up in my prayers. To my colleagues, as we mourn this devastating 
loss, may Donald Payne, Jr.'s memory serve as motivation for us to be 
better public servants and continue the fight for equality just as 
Donald Payne, Jr., would have wanted.

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