[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2955]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF CONGRESSMAN DONALD PAYNE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, today the House of Representatives lost a 
distinguished Member who served with honor for more than two decades. I 
had the pleasure of working with Donald Payne many times over the 
years. He had an incredible heart for Africa and suffering people in 
every corner of the continent.
  From Morocco to South Africa, he was a tireless advocate for freedom 
and self-determination. We worked together speaking on behalf of the 
Sahrawi people in Western Sahara. Representative Payne watched Western 
Sahara closely, working toward a peaceful resolution that would allow 
for a free referendum that could establish self-government.
  We also worked together in 2007 to recognize the 200th anniversary of 
the abolition of the British slave trade and to honor the legacy of 
William Wilberforce.
  And in one amazing episode, he risked his life seeking peace in Sudan 
and nearly had his plane shot down in 2009.
  Donald Payne never missed an opportunity to advocate on behalf of the 
oppressed, and his work has had a lasting impact on the human rights of 
people around the world. I'm proud to have fought the good fight 
alongside of him.
  He will be missed.

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