[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1923-S1924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ALASKA'S MAN OF THE CENTURY

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I wish to make a few remarks about a 
friend of mine. I will have been in the Senate at the end of this year 
for 28 years. When I arrived, a Senator was already here named Ted 
Stevens from the great State of Alaska. He was strong, articulate, and 
he was tough. He was moving up in the ranks.
  There are approximately 6 billion people alive on this Earth right 
now, and only 619,000 of them are living in Alaska. After a long 
process, it was decided that Senator Stevens should be the ``Man of the 
Century'' for Alaska.
  We have all attended banquets and events for the ``Man of the Year'' 
or the ``Woman of the Year.'' But Alaska did it up right. They found 
one of their own, and said: If you look at the century--for part of 
which they certainly were not in the United States--who is the man of 
that century? And it was

[[Page S1924]]

our own Ted Stevens, currently the chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee.
  It is phenomenal how people more times than not find reality. They 
find out what gold is, what is really important, and what is big, 
strong, and sturdy. It is clear that when it comes to stature, he might 
not be a tall or big man, but he matches Alaska's mountains; no doubt 
about it. He is a mountain of a man. I am very grateful to be able to 
call him my friend.
  Other Senators have already put in the Record all of the things he 
has done around here in his years as Senator and how many times he has 
had to run. A few times he was Senator for only a couple of years, and 
then he had to run again. He has run more times than the number of 
years of service would directly yield for a 6-year term, as the 
occupant of the chair and I serve.
  When you add it all up, Alaska has done it right. They have concluded 
that when you look back on the people of Alaska, even long before there 
was statehood, they are really saying there has not been a man like 
him. Alaska hasn't had a man like Ted Stevens. He is unique.
  I want to say on the floor tonight that I am a few days late. I had 
left town when I found out about this last week. I am glad to have the 
opportunity tonight.
  I want to say I am thrilled to have him as my friend. He has a tough 
job. So do I. I do the budget, and he helps me. He does appropriations, 
which has to be done every single year with the claims all the Senators 
put upon him, and with all of the claims others place in behalf of the 
people of this country for new programs and new expenditures. He has an 
awful lot of that on his shoulders.
  I say to him that we are lucky we have him here. We are thrilled that 
he came from Alaska. If I were an Alaskan, I would have joined them in 
voting for him as the ``Man of the Century.''

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