Donald Payne

Donald Milford Payne, a Democrat, has represented the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1989.

Iraq War
Payne voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Background
Payne was born July 16, 1934 in Newark, New Jersey and did his undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University. He pursued post-graduate studies at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Before being elected to Congress in 1988, Payne served in the Newark Municipal Council, was on the Essex County Board of Freeholders, was an executive at Prudential Financial, was Vice President of Urban Data Systems Inc., and was a teacher in the Newark public school system.

Payne's brother, William D. Payne, serves in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 29th legislative district of New Jersey. Payne's nephew, Craig A. Stanley, also serves in the General Assembly representing the 28th legislative district.

Congressional Career
Payne ran against Congressman Peter Rodino in the 1980 and 1986 Democratic primaries but lost both times. Rodino retired in 1988 and Payne easily won his seat in the House to become New Jersey's first African-American member of Congress. Since his election, he has won nine successive elections without much challenge.

Payne is pro-choice and against the death penalty. He is a member, and former chair, of the Congressional Black Caucus. In 2002 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi chose him to serve on the Democratic Steering Committee, which chooses committee assignments and plays a crucial part in shaping the Democratic legislative agenda.

Payne has been active in issues relating to Africa, particularly that of the current Dafur conflict in the Sudan. In June 22, 2001 Payne was arrested after protesting against the Sudanese government at Sudan's Embassy in Washington, D.C. He is an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network.

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Payne’s seat in the November 2006 election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Education and Labor
 * Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
 * Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
 * House Committee on Foreign Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations -Chair
 * Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight
 * Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 * Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
 * Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations
 * House Committee on International Relations
 * Subcommittee on Africa Global Human Rights and International Operations - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Chair, Essex County Democratic Party, 2002
 * Albanian Issues Caucus
 * Executive Board, Congressional Arts Caucus
 * Past Chair, Congressional Black Caucus
 * Board Member, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
 * Congressional Children's Working Group
 * Congressional India and Indian Americans
 * Congressional Fire Services Caucus
 * Congressinal Human Rights Caucus
 * Congressional Urban Caucus
 * Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
 * Democratic Steering Committee
 * Northeast Agriculture Caucus
 * Silk Road Caucus
 * United States House Democratic At-Large Whip
 * Past Chair, World Refugee and Rehabilition Committee

Boards and other Affiliations

 * Associate, Democratic Century Fund
 * Co-chairman, Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
 * Chair,Alexis de Tocqueville Institution's Opportunity Africa Project
 * Board of Directors, Discovery Channel Foundation
 * Board of Directors, Enterprise Works
 * Board of Directors, Fighting Back Initiative
 * Foreign Relations Council
 * Advisory Council, Ingovermental Relations
 * Past President, The Leaguers
 * National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
 * National Council of Negro Women
 * Former Director, National Endowment for Democracy
 * Board of Directors, Trans Africa
 * United States Committee for UNICEF
 * Director, Bread for the World
 * Public Advisory Committee, Population Institute
 * Congressional Advisory Board, Humpty Dumpty Institute
 * Recipient of the 2003 NED Democracy Service Medal
 * Advisory Board (2000 at least), The Sudan Campaign
 * Board of Reference, Servant's Heart

Resources

 * Official website
 * Tenth Congressional District of New Jersey Profile Published by the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University
 * Members of the Subcommittee on Africa
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Blue Jersey

Articles

 * Jack Kemp & Rep. Donald M. Payne, Africa Is Getting On The Growth Track, Investor's Business Daily, June 20, 1997
 * Kenneth P. Brown, "Its Not Partisan", The Observer-Reporter, February 8, 2000