The tributes have been pouring in throughout the day about the legacy U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg. New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-6) told NJ Today Managing Editor Mike Schneider that Lautenberg served as something of a moral compass for members of Congress on critical issues.
Although Lautenberg was a man of means, Pallone says Lautenberg “cared about the little guy” because of his humble roots.
“I think that he felt that one of the major roles of Congress is to make sure that you took care of people in need and that was the safety net, whether it was health care, pensions or making sure that programs like Meals on Wheels and housing for poor people,” said Pallone. “He was the moral guide post, if you will, of what we should be doing and how we should be doing it and I think without him we’ve lost a lot in that respect.”
Pallone adds that Lautenberg’s work on building the nation’s infrastructure, protecting the environment and taking care of the poor can only continue through a collective effort rather than by any one individual.
“He was always a person if there was a problem, he was going to come up with a solution,” Pallone said. “With regard to pollution, he wanted to make sure that the air we breath is clean, that the water we drank is clean, and so he would pass legislation to accomplish those goals, and we all need to do the same thing. If we have a problem, come up with a solution and have Congress address it. That’s what he was all about.”