>> forward march. present. ♪ o, say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets red glare, the

bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was with still there ♪ ♪ o, say does that star spangled banner yet waive ♪ ♪ o'er the land of free and the home of the brave ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. >> good morning and welcome to the old hall of the house. thank all of you for joining us for the memorial for donald m.

payne. with us today are members of representative payne's family as well as many colleagues and friends, all gathered just steps from the chamber where he served with great distinction. just as the body -- the house is the body that is closest to the people, is the body of people who are close knit. the loss of one is felt by all. this is particularly true in the case of this distinguished gentleman from new jersey. this morning we will hear of a man who grew newspaper humble circumstances and devoted himself to lifting up others. whether they lived just down the block in newark's northward or thousands of miles away in africa. we will hear of a believer who wrote the book on what it means to be a public servant. don payne never settled for being a sympathetic ear or a

helping hand. he immersed themselves in a plight that he sought to help. he gave it all through it all. we'll hear of a teacher who passed on this passion with such commitment that the great john lewis would say, don's heart was big enough to serve all mankind. through his story we see how much we're capable of and how much we have left to do. we are again drawn to that line in luke, to whom much is given, much is expected. each of us has been at risk by don payne's example, we must be expected to honor it with service and sacrifice. god bless his family and god bless all of you for being here with us today. this time, the invocation will be given by the rev rant patrick

conroy, the chaplain of the house of representatives. >> let us pray. god of heaven and earth. the work of your hands is made known in your bountiful creation, and in the lives of those who faithfully live their lives in service and in your grace. today we especially remember the life and work of our departed brother donald payne trusting your promise of eternal and ever lasting life and love. we remember his 30 years of service in elected office. in his 12th term of congress you called him to yourself. his voice on behalf of the

millions who suffer on the continent of africa, and for so many here at home will be sorely missed. may his example give courage to those of us who continue on to similarly dedicate our lives and our energies for the service of so many in need of a champion. comfort those who mourn. most especially his family but also his lifelong friends and the many people who remembered donald as a man of stature and position who never lost sight of his call to service of others. donald's bethlehem baptist congregation of newark and his roman catholic alma matter seton hall university can both be proud of this faithful son who

answered the call of his master, to serve others and now intercedes for us all in god's presence. eternal rest grant unto him oh, lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. amen. >> our first series of tributes we'll hear from some of donald payne's colleagues in the house, starting with the delegate donna christensen from the virgin islands. she'll be followed by representative emanuel cleaver of missouri, representative lynn woolsey of california, and representative chris smith, the dean of the new jersey delegation. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> it's hard getting used to donald payne not being around. we may never get used to it, and

i hope we don't. no more "hey girl, where you been" or "hey girl, what you been up to" as only donald could ask. but what will always be with us is what donald always the teacher taught us through his life and service. teaching was obviously his first love, and he never left it, even when he came to washington. from his work to close education gaps on the committee of education in the workforce, to the many young people from all over our country and the world that he mentored in and outside of his office, on street corners or in classrooms, to his commitment to the interns and fellows training the next generation of leaders as he led the city sea foundation to understand that this was its important core mission. as much as he was involved in the life of africa, its struggles and its victories, trusted counsel to rebels as much as governments, his active

on caribbean development and peace in ireland, he was still never far from his district, to which he also gave his all, and where he was so much loved. his commitment to global health had its beginning in those major health events he held in newark. i would always join the new jersey and new york folks, and it was always wonderful to see donald in his element and to be part of helping him bring health care information and services to the thousands who came. he believed in and respected this institution and its rules and traditions and taught all of us who served with him to do the same, or else. and he was a loyal and loving friend who was always there when you called and even when you didn't. but he also didn't mind ripping into you to keep you on a straight and narrow. i was privileged as well as burdened, but gladly so to be one of the few that donald told of his illness. but he did so well that we, even i were lulled into thinking he would beat that illness. and he did for a long time.

through ups and down, therapies and adverse reactions, he kept going like an energizer bunny here. here at home, at the foundation, across this country, and even abroad, i just don't know how he did it. so what did donald payne, congressman donald payne teach us? that you can and have an obligation to do it all, that we must serve all of humanity, even beyond the best of our ability and capacity, and we must do so with courage but humility, but determination, quiet when possible, but also to go newark, as our chair terms it, when the situation demands. to never let anyone or anything stand in the way of living life to the fullest and giving your all until you have nothing more to give. donald payne gave his all to his family, who will always be in our thoughts and prayers. his friends, his colleagues, his

country, the continent of africa, the caribbean, and the world. and so he will always be with us in that special part of himself that he shared with each of us so selflessly. and so we can each say as we gather here today for this memorial, thank you, donald payne, my colleague, my teacher, and my friend. [ applause ] >> it falls to me as chair of the congressional black caucus to speak a few words about our friend and colleague donald payne. he was indulgent with his family, intolerant toward injustice, invisible during credit-taking time,

incorruptible in a city of temptation, and indistinguishable as a human spirit who is much loved. and now i'm compelled to utter something that is perhaps counterintuitive. washington, d.c. is a city of heroes. yes, i challenge the late-night comedians and the midday commentators. washington, d.c. is a city of heroes. this is the city of washington, lincoln, jefferson, roosevelt, roosevelt, kennedy, reagan. this is the city where leaders have gathered since 1790 to create the most democratic republic in the history of the planet. this is the city that attracted courageous leaders who slammed slavery into the junk pile of days gone by. the leaders of washington

suffered from and eventually stabilized the scariest domestic downturn in world history, 1929. it was from this city that the political will was harvested to win not one but two world wars. it was in this city with civil rights leaders in the lead that jim crowe laws were liquidated. donald payne sowed seeds of civility and thus enjoyed a bountiful harvest of good will from all sides. this is the city where in 1983 ronald reagan and tip o'neill came together and added two decades to the solvency of social security. the forceful but civil words of donald payne spoke in the hallowed halls of congress were short to speak, but their echos are endless. heroes in washington, d.c. are

made by the men and women who, win or lose, and at no small risk to themselves, place their names on ballots for the place or a place in the people's house. donald payne was a hero. he defeat adhere row to get here. and once here, he remained true to his ideals and beliefs. donald payne was a hero because he never landed on the evening news because of some caustic comment. he is a hero because he forced congressional attention on africa. he became a hero because in a town filled with hot air, he taught us to say nothing often. he is a hero because he won more washington battles with his ears than his mouth. he is a hero because his life is measured not by its duration, but by its donation.

i'm united methodist, and john wesley who laid the foundation to what we call today methodism said our people die well. donald payne is a hero because he died well. blessed are the dead which die in the lord. they rest from their labor and their works do follow them. let me conclude by just telling you that i was really impressed when i saw the funeral of leonard brezhnev, the former soviet leader. his widow, without the knowledge of the leaders of the party or the kgb stood by his casket after all were seated. and just before they pulled the lid down, she did the unthinkable. in the soviet union. she put her hand over in the

casket on her husband's chest. she made the sign of the cross. in the citadel of the war on religion, she made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest. and so i know that we're not supposed to do religious stuff in congress. but taking a cue from mrs. brezhnev, donald, there is no need to newark anymore. you're in the right place now. [ applause ] >> i am truly honored to be here today to pay tribute to a man i loved and respected, a friend

for life and a mentor. to his family, i say, we say thank you for sharing your father, your father-in-law, your dad, your brother, your grandpa, and your great grandpa. you shared him with us and with the world. he was a busy legislator in d.c., in his district, and around the world. but nobody meant more to donald payne than his family. he was so proud of all of you. some have said that donald payne was greeted in heaven by martin luther king jr., but i believe he was greeted by his sweet mother and his beautiful wife, two women who left him far too

early in his life. now i believe donald payne is in a better place. when i came to congress, i couldn't have asked for a better mentor. a public school teacher, someone kind and smart. we served on committees together where i benefitted from his wisdom and experience because he was a man who knew what public service is. he described himself as a mild mannered man, but we know he was also tenacious and dedicated. no one, and i mean no one worked harder to bring peace and democracy around the world. he knew, however, that he could not have been successful without the great support he got from his staff and his family. and he knew his staff was the best. nor could he have achieved the

reputation of a true statesman and a humanitarian without the constant energizing bunny drive and determination that stayed with him through the diagnosis of his illness and until the very end. nobody has fought harder with an iron will and physical strength not to give in, because he had he believed so much more to do. in his absence, it's up to us to do it for him, to follow his lead, to continue the work that mattered so much to him. that is our promise to you, donald, because we love you, we miss you, and we thank you for making this world a better place just by being in it. thank you. [ applause ] >> in the ensuing weeks since

don payne's untimely passing, i alone with all who knew and deeply respected him keep expecting to hear his gentle voice admonishing us to care more and 20 do more for those trapped in poverty or suffering from devastating disease. donald payne was an extraordinary man who dedicated his entire life to public service, a man who made a significant difference in the world, in his constituency in new jersey. all many people that he touched know and remember his legacy with great, great treasure, as a treasure. don payne work across-party lines to combat the hiv/aids n pandemic and to malaria on the subcontinent of africa. he co-sponsored the sudan peace act and worked tirelessly to end the genocides in both south

sudan and darfur. i know firsthand how much he truly cared and how hard he worked for peace and reconciliation in war-ravaged nations. i served as ranking member of the africa subcommittee when he chaired it, and more recently until his passing, he served as mine. in our subcommittee, he never shied away from asking the tough questions, but always did so in a way that demonstrated his ernest desire to find durable solutions to vexing and seemingly insurmountable problems. he was a joy to work with. at his funeral, dozens of family member, friends, and political leaders ex-tolled don payne's innate goodness and accomplishments. the outpouring was, in a word, overwhelming. president clinton was there and talked about donald payne as a peacemaker and said better to reconcile than to resent.

governor chris christie said as we celebrate his life today, and as we say goodbye, we thank him for his gentle grace. his niece lauren said, "i can go to any part of the world and he would be known there. i think it's wonderful, just amazing." and his son, don jr., reminded everyone, and i quote, just think of all the things he did for us without ever asking for anything back. donald payne's ability to care and to do for others while expecting nothing whatsoever in return is indeed rare, and it's a precious virtue. his example of life-long selfless generosity inspires us all to be doers of good deeds without any thought of recognition or reward. the house has lost a distinguished friend and a

distinguished colleague, the gentleman from new jersey. on behalf of our delegation, we say to the family, we deeply miss him. on behalf of ileana ross layton and howard berman, we deeply miss him. and on behalf of the entire congress, he is missed. [ applause ] >> for our musical presentation, we have the soloist anthony ross harrington. he will be performing the wind beneath my wings. ♪

♪ it must have been cold there in my shadow, to never have sunlight on your face ♪ ♪ you were content to let me shine, that's your way ♪ ♪ you always walked a step behind ♪ ♪ now i was the one with all the glory, and you were the one with all the strength ♪

♪ a beautiful face without a name, for so long i never once heard you complain ♪ ♪ oh did you ever know that you're my hero ♪ ♪ you're everything i'd like to be ♪ ♪ i can fly higher than an eagle, you are the wind beneath my wings ♪

♪ it might have appeared to go unnoticed, but i've got it all right here in my heart ♪ ♪ i want you to know i know the truth, yes i know it, i would be nothing without you ♪ ♪ did you ever know that you're my hero, you're everything i'd like to be ♪ ♪ i can fly higher than an eagle

you the wind beneath my wings ♪ ♪ did you ever know that you're my hero, you're everything that i'd like to be ♪ ♪ i can fly higher than an eagle, you are the wind beneath my wings ♪ ♪ you are the wind beneath my

win wings, you are the wind beneath my wings ♪ >> congressman payne, today the world salutes you. [ applause ] >> members of representative payne's family will now share some of their reflections. starting with his son, councilman don payne jr., followed by his grandson jack payne, and his brother, william payne.

>> thank you, and good morning. >> good morning. >> to the assembled guests, the vice president and speaker, senator lautenberg, ms. pelosi, mr. smith, to mr. cleaver, ms. christensen, there is joy and pain today. the joy is in the assembled number of people in this hall to pay their respects for my father for his work around the world.