[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    ANNIVERSARY OF ALASKA STATEHOOD

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, January marked the 48th anniversary of 
the day Alaska achieved statehood. Earlier this week, Senator Murkowski 
and I introduced S.J. Res. 49, a resolution commemorating our State's 
50th anniversary. We will reach this milestone on January 3, 2009.
  Alaska's path to statehood was a long one. In 1867, Secretary of the 
Treasury William Seward convinced President Andrew Johnson to purchase 
Alaska for $7.2 million. At the time, this purchase was often derided 
as ``Seward's Folly,'' and many wondered what the United States would 
do with what some called its new ``Polar Bear Garden.''
  While history shortly proved the critics wrong, statehood for Alaska 
did not come easily. It took more than 90 years for Alaska to become a 
state. The first Alaska statehood bill was introduced by James 
Wickersham, our territorial delegate, in 1916. Over the years, seven 
Congresses considered legislation regarding Alaska's admission to our 
Union. Between 1946 and 1957 alone, statehood hearings held by the 
House and Senate spanned more than 3,500 pages in the printed record.
  Alaskans tirelessly advocated for statehood. On November 8, 1955, 55 
men and women assembled at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks for 
Alaska's Constitutional Convention. These delegates worked for 75 days, 
and their efforts produced a precedent-setting constitution.
  Thanks to the dedication of George Lehleitner of Louisiana and C.W. 
Bill Snedden, the publisher of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, our 
constitution included Alaska's version of the ``Tennessee Plan''. Under 
this plan, our territory elected a congressional delegation without 
federal approval. Our constitution--and this plan--ultimately became 
the basis for congressional approval of statehood.
  Alaskans also made countless trips to Washington, DC, to testify in 
support of statehood. These visits were critical to our success--in 
1957, the House Insular Affairs Committee reported, ``Alaska is in all 
ways ready for statehood.''
  Forty-two years after the introduction of the first statehood bill, 
our long wait finally ended. On May 12, 1958, Representative Clair 
Engle moved to bring the Alaska statehood bill to the floor of the 
House. He sought and received a special privileged status which is 
reserved for statehood bills. This status allowed him to circumvent the 
Rules Committee, which had blocked statehood legislation for more than 
11 months.
  Right up until the end, statehood for Alaska faced fierce opposition. 
In the Senate, a small group of opponents prolonged the debate for 5 
long days and nights. I was among the many Alaskans who gathered in the 
viewing galleries above this Chamber on June 30, 1958, waiting for the 
historic vote. At 8:02 pm, the Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill 
by a vote of 64 to 20. Six months later, on January 3, 1959, we 
officially became the 49th State in the Union.

  I come to the floor today to pay tribute to the Alaskans who fought 
for statehood and our good friends in Congress who supported them. Bob 
Bartlett, our State's delegate in the House, worked on statehood for 14 
years. He was assisted by men like Leo O'Brien of New York, who chaired 
the Territories Subcommittee; John Saylor of Pennsylvania, who led the 
floor fight for Republican supporters; Clair Engle of California, who 
chaired the Insular Affairs Committee; and Sam Rayburn, the Speaker of 
the House.
  In the Senate, Alaskans found a good friend in Senator Henry 
``Scoop'' Jackson of Washington State, who was chairman of Territories 
on the Interior Committee. Senator Jackson helped plan the successful 
strategy that put the vote for statehood over the top. Twenty-five 
years later, Senator Jackson cosponsored a resolution celebrating the 
silver anniversary of Alaska's statehood. Earlier this week, Senator 
Murkowski and I offered a similar resolution, this time to commemorate 
our State's golden anniversary in 2009.
  Alaskans also found many good friends outside of the Halls of 
Congress. President Eisenhower, President Truman, and Secretary of the 
Interior Fred Seaton each supported our campaign for statehood. It was 
my great privilege to know and serve with many of these men. I am 
particularly indebted to Secretary Seaton, who asked me to serve as his 
legislative counsel, Assistant to the Secretary, and ultimately the 
Solicitor of the Department of the Interior during the Eisenhower 
administration. These positions gave me the opportunity to work on the 
Alaska Statehood Act.
  History has proven those who criticized Seward's purchase--and those 
who opposed statehood--wrong. When William Seward purchased Alaska from 
Russia, he paid $7,200,000--less than 2 cents per acre. With the full 
rights and opportunities granted to the states in our Union, Alaska has 
more than made good on this investment--the Federal revenue from the 
development of our resources has repaid this investment hundreds of 
times over.
  The list of our State's opportunities remains promising. We have vast 
coal reserves and enormous potential in oil and gas both on and off our 
shores. Trillions of feet of gas hydrates lie beneath our permafrost. 
Our State's 34,000 miles of shoreline are the gateway to some of our 
Nation's most promising tidal and ocean energy prospects. Our forests 
contain much of the Nation's timber and pulp. Sixty percent of our 
country's commercial fish harvest is caught in the waters off of our 
State's shores.
  Our geographic location was a vital asset during World War II and the 
Cold War, and it continues to offer our Armed Forces important 
strategic advantages. Our location has also helped boost our Nation's 
trade with Canada, Russia, and nations throughout Asia.
  Our State's greatest resource, however, will always be our people. 
Alaskans are resourceful, enterprising, and fiercely independent. Our 
pioneer spirit runs deep. And the traditions and heritage of our Alaska 
Native people have greatly contributed to our country's cultural life.
  The list of our State's opportunities is long, but we are still a 
young State. For each of our opportunities, there is a challenge to 
overcome. The Federal Government owns more than 60 percent of our 
lands. We have only 14,000 miles of roads. Seventy percent of our 
towns, villages, and cities can be reached only by boat or air. If we 
are to fulfill our potential, we will need greater understanding of 
these facts.
  Forty-eight years is not a long time. In fact, our State is younger 
than all but eight of the Members who serve in this Senate. Our ability 
to fulfill our potential depends on the willingness of those who serve 
in Congress to provide us with the opportunities and support given to 
other States when they were in similar stages of their development.
  On this anniversary of statehood, Alaskans honor those who made this 
milestone possible. And we share our hope that--once again--we will 
find friends in Congress and elsewhere that will help us fulfill our 
State's potential.

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