[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H6013-H6014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING CONGRESSMAN DONALD PAYNE

  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend and 
colleague, the late Congressman Donald Payne, Jr., as we commemorate 
what would have been his 67th birthday.
  Donald and I were good friends and neighbors both representing the 
cities of Newark and Jersey City together. A proud son of Newark, 
Congressman Payne dedicated his life to fighting for his neighbors, 
ensuring no one was left behind.
  In his decades of public service, Congressman Payne was among the 
most progressive voices in our country fighting for every single 
American.
  What I admired most about my colleague was the courage and bravery he 
displayed in making his battle with diabetes public so he could 
advocate for better treatments and solutions for the horrible disease 
that ultimately took him from us.
  Until the very end, Congressman Payne continued to fight for his 
constituents, introducing legislation to protect people with 
disabilities within our healthcare system.
  I miss my friend. I miss his style. I miss his flair, and I miss his 
laugh, but

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I know that his spirit lives on and that we will continue the work he 
committed himself to.
  Happy birthday, Donald.
  We miss you, and we will always be better for the work and dedication 
that guided your years of service.

                          ____________________