the pain is that he is not here for us to tell him how much we appreciated him. it's been a -- just an overwhelming month or so. at his passing, i was in a very good place and reflecting on what he had done for me and my family over the course of my life, but as time has gone on and i've had time to stop and think, it's become very hard not to be emotional any time i think of even calling his name, whether it be congressman, donald payne, daddy, whatever. it has been a very emotional time. but as it was stated and i stated, he never asked for

anything. he did things. he told me and he used to refer to me. and i have a family nickname. he would say, "chop, i do the things i do because i can." people need help around the world. and wherever there is injustice, he felt it was important to step in. yes, africa was his passion, but people finding theirselves in situations where their civil and human rights were being violated became his fight. and the were thing i want to leave you with is that he never asked for anything, but he would really, really appreciate what you have done here to honor his memory today. thank you very much. >>. [ applause ]

>> new testament reading, john chapter 14, versuses 1-3. let not your heart be troubled. you believe in god. believe also in me. in my father's house, there are many mansions. and if it were not so, i would have told you. i go to prepare a place for you. and if i go and prepare a place for you, i will come again and receive you to myself that where i am you may be also. to many of you here today, you knew my grandfather as congressman donald payne. some of you knew him as mr. payne. some of you knew him as donald or don. my brother donald and my sister and myself, we knew him. on behalf of donald and myself, i just want to say we love you and we miss you. you rest in peace.

[ applause ] >> good afternoon. he walked with kings and he never lost the common touch. i don't say that just to be poetic. i say it because it was true. i was blessed to be with him when he met with royalty in bahrain, where we went to discuss the arab spring. i was with him when we traveled the dusty roads in the congo and visited with people in their huts. and he talked about their health care. i was with him as he touched and lifted children in the refugee camps we visited, where his heart was. my brother obviously was one who cared about the world. there are those who knew that we

were very close. there is a story about the corsican brothers. some of you may know it. twins who were very, very close to each other, no matter where they were, yet they were separate. they felt the feelings of the other one no matter where he was. of course those two brothers, there was a nice guy and then there was the other one. you can guess who was the other one. he was a -- he was great. he gave his all. as a matter of fact, he was concerned about his fellows. in fact, when he went to egypt and he checked on secretary lahood's son, my brother was sick. he was ill. and before he went, i told donald, you know, he said when i get there, i'll rest, but i have to go. and he went. he -- he passed on march 6th, which was the same day that my father passed.

the same day and the same age. they were the same age when he passed. he passed on and there is a great reunion, no question about it, great union up there where my brother and father and his mother and his wife are all those together. but someone wrote me a letter not too long ago. it talked about greatness. you don't recognize greatness when you're walking wit. you recognize that he was a great man, and it's too difficult sometimes when you're close to it. but donald was a great man. i think everyone would agree with that. his passing hurts. and they say time heals. but the time has not yet come. it still hurts. thank you. [ applause ] >> our next set of tributes will be delivered by the democratic leader in the u.s. house, ms.

nancy pelosi, and the senior senator from the state of new jersey, frank lautenberger. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. thank you for arranging for this beautiful ceremony today in honor of donald payne. thank you so much for bringing us together in such a beautiful way. to donald's family, i hope it is a comfort to you that so many people share your grief and are praying for you at this sad time. and that donald is being honored in so many different ways. he was in life, and now with his passing. the fact that the president of the united states, bill clinton, and members of president obama's cabinet were present with their assistant leader mr. clyburn at his funeral, the fact that we are under the dome of the capitol of the united states and the vice president of the united states is here to sing the praises of donald payne as well

as an outpouring from his colleagues in the house and in the senate. i hope that is a comfort to you. i just want to share with you a couple other tributes that may not be well-known to many of you here. on march 19th, when we observed st. patrick's day because it was on a saturday, so we observed it on monday, there was a big dinner of, the american ireland fund dinner. huge dinner, hundreds of people turned out. the prime minister, of ireland was there. and our representative, richie neil spoke, as did also peter king, he entire comments to donald payne. in this big irish festival, there was a big, huge as the wall picture of donald payne. and the crowd cheered wildly as both mr. king, but especially

richie spoke about what he did to help the people of northern ireland. wasn't it a beautiful tribute, joe? it was beautiful. that was a couple of weeks as we know after his passing. i want to tell you about one incident that happened a few years ago. we were on a delegation that donald helped arrange and lead to darfur and to africa. it was -- it was very emotional for all of us. but as with anything you did with donald, you were better prepared when you went, better received when you got there, and better able to help when you left, whether it was the elimination of poverty, the eradication of disease, promotion of peace, ending violence, protecting human rights, you name it. but this trip we were going to darfur and other -- sudan and other countries in africa. and donald helped arrange everything. but when we were going to khartoum, he said i'm not going. you remember this, max?

he said i'm not going. and i said well why? you're our leader. he said they're not going to tell you the truth. i already know that. i'm not going to give them that opportunity. but you have to find out for yourselves. which we did, didn't we, max, on that trip. it wasn't just about visiting heads of states and parliamentarians. it was about visiting people in hiv/aids clinics to see the care they were receiving. it was about visiting women working in soweto. it was about learning about the country. but i want to tell you about this one incident, because i'm reminded of it today when so many people are singing the praises of donald payne, and i'm referencing people singing the praises of donald payne who aren't even here today. we were in liberia. mr. clyburn, you remember this very well. we're in liberia, and there was a big celebration of dedicating a library to congressman donald payne for his leadership.

and we were there. and i am telling you, it was very hot. they gave us dashikis to wear, so it was even hotter. and every person who spoke, and believe me, the leadership of the world turned -- that was after presidents johnson had already honored donald and the rest of us at an event. but all the focus is always on donald. but anyway, we go to this library dedication at the ame college in monrovia, boiling hot. everybody turned out to honor donald. a long list of speakers. and every person who spoke, mr. vice president, you'll recognize this, mr. speaker, every person who spoke said what an honor it was to be on the program with everybody who spoke before. you've been to those events? they're like 19, 20 speaker. we get to halfway through, and one gentleman, distinguished gentleman gets up and he says, "to all of the speakers who

spoke before me and who will come next, honors granted." and it brought out the biggest smile on donald payne's face. a picture that you see on the program. those twinkly eyes, the beautiful smile that is obviously a family trait. it's obviously a family trait. but they wanted to outdo each other in praising, but acknowledging everyone there too. he was so wonderful, and there is so much to be said about him. it's really a personal loss to so many of us. and so when a colleague passes away, it's sad, and a loss and that. this is very, very personal with many members. and i just want to recall since mr. cleaver introduced the idea that we can speak religiously here today of a prayer that is posted on the wall by a presbyterian african bishop in africa. and i think it applies to donald

very well. in the prayer, the bishop says "when at long last i will happily go to meet my maker, he will say to me show me your wounds, and if i have no wounds, i will say to him i have no wounds. and he will say to me was there nothing worth fighting for?" that was donald. he fought for poor people. he fought for people all over the world. we mention africa. we mentioned northern ireland. but all over the world. this whole hemisphere. this is hard to make that fight. he was challenging the status quo, especially to end violence and promote peace. that's why it was my honor to name him to be a representative

to the united nations general assembly. one time is the way it goes. but for donald it was two times. because his contribution was so valuable. we say it from time to time, but it's never truer than today, god truly blessed america with the life, leadership, and service of our precious donald payne. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, everybody, for joining together in extended example of hand-holding at a time when there is so much turbulence here, washington, and across our country. the equilibrium that donald payne always had is yet another

fitting memory of his good will, his good nature, and his honesty. and it's an honor for me to represent the senate in paying tribute to our friend donald payne. don payne was a humble man of conscience and conviction. and i was always struck by donald's spoken, soft demeanor. and i think many here will agree, this made him a rarity in politics. don payne didn't need to raise his voice. his ideals were powerful enough. for more than two decades, congressman payne served new jersey in congress with distinction. but his leadership impacted lives far beyond new jersey's borders.

donald was an expert on foreign relations. he led efforts to restore democracy and human rights in countries from northern ireland to sudan. don payne worked around the globe to end famine, disease, and genocide. at home he was a trailblazer. don payne and i had our offices in newark, our premiere city in new jersey. and i would see almost a reverence that people would hold in their view and in their hands when they were able to shake hands with don payne. there was love and affection and respect. in 1988, don, during his first campaign for the house, he told a reporter, and i quote, i want to be a role model for the kids

i talk to on the street corners. i want to see -- i want them to see that there are no bment. and without doubt, donald payne achieved his goal. he inspired young people to enter public service. and if you look at his proud family members who are here today, many of whom followed him into careers in public service, and it's a wonderful example for all of you to follow. and we're very proud of you, young man, for standing up here and talking about your grandfather. we miss donald payne, congressman donald payne, and we mourn his absence from our lives. he's gone, but his legacy will not be forgotten, pride, gentlemanship, decency, honor and courage. thank you. [ applause ]

. >> ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming the vice president of the united states, the honorable joe biden. [ applause ] . >> mr. speaker, thank you very much. thank you so very much. the payne family, all of us, many of us have been through what you're through, going through. and we know there is not a darn thing any of us can say to fill that sense of that empty void you feel, that hollowness in your chest. but as the former speaker said, i hope you take some solace from knowing that everyone else knows what you knew, everyone else knows what you felt, everyone knows what your father, your

grandfather, your brother, et cetera, what he was made of. i hope that gives you some solace. and so i hope that solace is something that will bring -- bring that healing quicker, brother, than it's already brought it. i am -- i actually -- i envy my colleagues who spoke. i envy them because they obviously got to work with donald every day, and they got to know him even before than i did. they got more direct benefit from being with a gentle, honorable man. a man who, in my experience, and i spent a lot of times on trains with him and a lot of time talking to him as a member of the foreign relations committee,

but a guy who is probably, as the old saying goes, he is what the doctor ordered but we need badly here in washington. it's not just -- it's not just what he did. it's just not how deeply he felt about the cause he's fought for. a lot of you feel as deeply. a lot of you, democrats and republicans feel the same way. but the thing i admired most about him was i was reading the quote in the -- they said when i was a young man i came across a book of poetry from my father. i'll never forget the quote from the book. a father wants his son to be better, brighter and that he. i always remember that when i grew up, et cetera. my dad used to have an expression. he said you know you're a success when you turn and look at your son or daughter and you realize they turned out better than you. he has joked about it.

but a lot of us as fathers know we're successes because we look at our children. your dad had that privilege of being able to know. but i think there is a reason for why. the distinguishing characteristics for me, someone who knew him well, but not nearly as well as many of you, was that he had another trait that my dad thought was a single most valuable thing beyond courage that you could possess. and that was that donald comported himself with dignity, but more importantly, he accorded dignity to everybody else. everybody else. remember him saying to me when i -- of vice president, i quoted my dad saying a job is a lot more than about a paycheck. it's about dignity, it's about

respect. it's about your sense of youfrs. it's about your place in the community. it's about who you are. and donald calling me about seem mall willia, calling, hearing me say that. and i went back and asked my staff to look up what i thought donald talking about. and donald's -- the ability of donald to comport himself the way he did in a pretty increasingly rough environment for both parties, donald said "i think there is a lot of dignity in being able to achieve things without having to create rupture." you know, sometimes in our town,

and congressman, that was an eloquent presentation you made, but sometimes in this great town with a lot of great heroes, we go through phases where we sometimes confuse dignity with weakness. we sometimes confuse dignity with lack of resolve. the magic of donald, the magic of your brother, your father, your grandfather was no one ever confused it with him. it is pretty remarkable. i served in the senate for 36 years. i've had the great pleasure of knowing an awful lot of great women and men. as was pointed out when i left the senate after being elected the seventh time, only 13 people in history served longer than me, which is supposed to give me solace, but it made me feel very bad. but the point of the fact is

very few people can pull off what donald pulled off. i don't know what it is. i don't know what that thing was that he had. as i said, a lot of people have his passion. i know a lot of you republicans and democrats bleed for your constituency, have done incredible things. but he had something special. there was a place where there is a psalm that says "to the upright there rises light and darkness. he is gracious. he is full of compassion, and he is righteous." donald was upright. donald was a man who was always to my experience, always gracious, whether he was talking

to the conductor on amtrak or being with him in his district, which i was on several occasions after i first met you, or whether it was in god forsaken places in africa where i might add no one has mentioned it took courage to go where he went. he put his life in jeopardy on some of those trips. it wasn't automatic. it wasn't always donald being greeted with open arms. i can think of two occasions where his aircraft was greeted with weapons fire at his aircraft. so, you know, the interesting thing about donald, upright as the psalm says, there rises light and darkness. it not only lightened him, it was amazing how much light he

brought to the darkest recesses of his district and of the world. you know, it's been mentioned here a number of times, and i apologize for repeating it, but i think it's important. it's been mentioned here that donald was always a teacher. he was the kind of teacher a lot of us wish we had when we were in school. teachers never lectured, teacher that demand a lot of you. a teacher that knew what you needed, was able to help you where he could. but expected you to act. that was everything about him. there is a great phrase about being a teacher. and whether it was donald going

after increasing pell grants or cutting loan interest rates or all the other things he did in his district, there was -- there was -- there is a great expression i'll end with. and it was by henry adams. he said, "a teacher affects eternity. he can never tell where his influence stops." "a teacher affects eternity. he can never tell where his influence stops." we can say all we know about donald to his family, but we don't know, we really don't know where his influence stops. i'll close by reaching into my irish roots, because donald helped.

teddy kennedy helped, worked so hard on the northern ireland accords. his compassion was not cabined by race or color or ethnicity. and the highest compliment any irishman can accord to anyone, period, is to say "he was a good man." donald payne was a good man. [ applause ] >> mr. vice president, let me thank you for your kind remarks and all those who paid tribute today to donald payne. at this time i'd like to ask leader pelosi to join me as we present congressman payne's

family a flag that was flown over the capitol on the day of his passing and a copy of house resolution 571 expressing the house's sincerest condolences.

>> we are honored to be joined today by the reverend dr. jefferson sr., pastor of the metropolitan baptist church in newark, new jersey, who will deliver the benediction. >> let us all stand. out of respect for this great man, if you would please bow your heads with me. eternal god our father, as we come to