[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6] [Senate] [Pages 8731-8737] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING SENATOR TED STEVENS Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to honor a colleague and a friend, Senator Ted Stevens, who this week becomes history's longest serving Republican member of the Senate. This is an outsized accomplishment for a man whose name is virtually synonymous with the Nation's largest State. Yet no one who ever crossed paths with Senator Stevens is surprised that he has achieved it. The long list of things he has done for the people of Alaska in the course of a remarkable 39 years in the Senate traces an arc as vast as the State itself. His love for that State and this country is legendary. This milestone is merely an occasion to recall and retell that legend. As the Republican leader, an admirer, and a friend, I welcome it. It is a story that takes us back to a day when transistor radios were new to the White House and construction workers had just cleared a space in the Bronx for Yankee Stadium. America was changing quickly, and Theodore Fulton Stevens would take as much of it as he could. Born in Indianapolis, he moved to Redondo, CA, as a boy and learned to surf along the beaches of the South Bay. His pioneering spirit took him to Oregon and Montana for college and then to even more exotic places as an Army Air Corps pilot in World War II. At 19 years old, he was flying C-46 transport planes over the Himalayas and into China supporting the legendary Flying Tigers. He left the Army after achieving the rank of lieutenant and in recognition of his bravery received a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal. A decorated war veteran in his early 20s, Ted returned to California to resume his studies and later enrolled at Harvard Law School. A consummate tough guy, the man who would one day prepare for tough legislative fights by donning ties that featured the Incredible Hulk helped pay his way through law school by tending bar and selling his own blood. After law school, Ted showed up in Washington to practice his trade. He married a girl named Ann, and together they set out on yet another adventure. With an appetite for risk and a passion for service, Ted would carve a life for himself and his young family out of the vast expanse of the Alaska territory. He would devote the rest of his life to helping people there achieve [[Page 8732]] the same rights and privileges that those in the lower 48 took for granted. As a result of decades of work in the service of that goal, the name ``Ted Stevens'' would one day be synonymous with an area one- sixth the size of the entire United States. He was there at the creation. As a young lawyer at the Department of the Interior, Ted Stevens stood over a map with President Eisenhower and traced out the borders of the 49th State. He returned there in 1961, started a law firm of his own, and soon won a seat for himself in the Alaska House of Representatives. Four years after that, Democratic Senator Bob Bartlett passed away, and on Christmas Eve, the State's Republican Governor chose Ted to replace him. Now, Ted Stevens wasn't well known outside his home State, but curious folks in Washington could have found this brief description of him in Newsweek. Here is how they summed him up: Stevens is a 5'6" cigar smoker who hunts moose and earned a reputation as a scrapper in the Alaska House of Representatives. It was brief, but it wasn't far off. Ted didn't leave his scrappiness in Juneau. He would bring it to Washington. A story about the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 illustrates the point. Ted was a first term minority senator at the time, but he was determined to find a way to get this piece of legislation enacted into law. The story goes that Ted was carpooling into work one morning with the Democratic chairman who could make it happen, and he got him to agree to a vote on his amendment that day. Well, the day passed without any action. They called the bill up on the floor, and the thing went through second reading, third reading, and then onto a final vote. No amendment. Ted ran right up to the Chairman and yelled at him right to his face: ``You SOB, you promised me a vote!' Hearing the commotion, the Democratic leader, Mike Mansfield, came over to chastise Ted. Nobody swears in this chamber, he said. But then Ted told Mansfield what had happened, and how important the bill was to his State, Mansfield turned to the chairman and asked whether the story was true. When he found out it was, he took the bill back to a second reading, offered the Stevens amendment in his own name, and the amendment passed. This was just one of the major pieces of critical legislation Ted has fought for on behalf of Alaskans. There have been many others. Ted never tires of fighting for the people of Alaska. But if you ask his staff, they'll say he just never tires. His chief of staff, George Lowe, remembers his first trip to Alaska with the boss. A staff assistant at the time, George was a little taken back when he picked Ted up at 6 a.m. and the Senator had already gone through the briefing book he'd been given the night before, already read the papers, and already been on the phone to Washington for a couple hours. ``I needed a vacation after doing for two weeks what he'd been doing for 39 years,'' he said. After Ann's tragic death, Ted met his beloved Catherine. They would add a sixth child to Ted's brood, Lily, who many of us remember running around the Senate as a little girl. Catherine had to get used to Ted's tenacity early on. The day after their wedding, he agreed to fill in for a colleague on a trip to tout Reaganomics in China. She had never let him live down that ``Honeymoon.'' As chief of staff, George says nothing's changed. He's learned to put his Blackberry in the basement when he goes to bed at night, or the boss would keep him up with e-mails. Ted will tell you he works so hard because there's so much work to do. Alaskans don't have the benefit of centuries of infrastructure and planning that much of the rest of the country does. Of the giant State's more than 200 villages, only a handful had running water when Ted came to the Senate. But largely thanks to him, roughly half of them do now. He's tried to make sure that people on the outside understand the challenges. And turning down an invitation to Alaska from Ted Stevens isn't recommended if you ever expect to appear before him at a committee hearing. An entire generation of Federal officials has trekked up there at Ted's invitation. Elaine and I have spent six of the last seven July recesses at the Kenai River King Salmon Classic and, like everybody else who's been there, we never leave without being impressed by two things: the magnificence of the scenery, and just how much of Alaska's progress is a direct result of Ted Stevens. It starts at the airport: Ted Stevens Anchorage International. It runs through the pipeline; the land settlement claims; the double- hulled tankers that move along the shore; and through all the homes in the remotest reaches of Alaska that have radio and television because of Ted. And it continues with his epic battle to open up the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. ``They sent me here to stand up for the State of Alaska,'' Ted once said. That's just what he's done. And Alaskans love him for it: on March 22, 2000, the Alaska State Legislature named Ted Stevens Alaskan of the Century. But he's done a lot more for the rest of us besides. Thanks to a remarkable 35-year tenure on the Appropriations Committee, no one has done more for the U.S. military than Ted Stevens. Never one to deny or delay materials or supplies to troops at home or in the field, he's secured funds to continue funding the F-117, to replace Air Force One, for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles like the Predator and Global Hawk, and for a replacement Coast Guard Icebreaker and the F-16 program. He was instrumental in ensuring funds for early military research on everything from breast cancer to AIDS. I remember asking myself when I first arrived in the Senate whether Stevens was ever in a good mood. But I learned, as everyone else who knows him does, that, like Hamlet, Ted Stevens ``speaks daggers but uses none.'' And in this, ``his tongue and his soul be hypocrites.'' Those who weren't convinced of this changed their minds during that sad week in September 2003, when we learned about the death of Senator Gordon Smith's son, Garrett. Senator Smith opposed Ted on ANWR, the biggest issue of his life. And a lesser man might have held a grudge. Yet it was Ted who arranged to fly himself and his colleagues in the Senate to the funeral. They say the only way to have a friend is to be one. And Ted's friendship with Senator Inouye is one of the great models of bipartisanship this building has ever known. We all know the two men call each other brothers. But some might not recall that Ted has actually donated money from his own Political Action Committee to Senator Inouye's re-election campaign. How does Ted do all this? He's always looking forward. Thirty-nine years in the Senate, and he doesn't reminisce. He hasn't slowed down a bit. He plays tennis and enjoys fishing. He tries to get in an hour at the Senate gym every day. And when he says he's a fighter, he means it: his staff assures me he still trains on a speed bag. When Ted got to the Senate, he had a motto: ``To hell with the politics, do what's right for Alaska.'' Over the years, he changed that motto, just slightly. Now it's: ``To hell with the politics, do what's right for the Nation.'' But in one of the most distinguished careers in the history of this body, he's done both. The people of Alaska and this Nation are better for having Ted Stevens around. We'd hardly know what to do without him. And in appreciation of his friendship and his noble service to State and country, I honor him today for his historic achievement and wish him many more years of good health and service. (Applause.) The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii is recognized. Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am a proud Democrat. Ted Stevens is a proud Republican. People have said, how can you two ever get together? [[Page 8733]] Well, as the leader has indicated, we call each other brothers. I know this is a violation of our party rules, but I have contributed to Ted's campaign, and he has contributed to my campaign. Last election was one of the most negative and partisan ones that I have ever experienced. The issue was Iraq, as it is today. Ted Stevens came up to me and said: You know, this election is sending a bad message to the fellows and the women in Iraq. We should send another message. So he proposed that we do our very best to pass the Defense appropriations bill in a timely fashion unanimously. The record will show that the subcommittee came out and voted unanimously for the Defense appropriations bill. The full committee responded by unanimously voting for it, and the Senate, for the first time in history, voted 100 to 0. That is bipartisanship, Mr. President. We have demonstrated that it can be done, and it has been done many times. We have many things in common, but I think more things uncommon. He represents glaciers; I represent coconut trees. But we do have many things in common. We fought in World War II--he in China with the Flying Tigers, and I was in Europe fighting the Germans. We represented territories. So we came in as new Members of the Senate, and he and I have received the crown of being ``pork men of the year.'' We are No. 1 in add-ons in the United States Senate. Mr. President, I am proud to call Ted Stevens my brother. I hope we can continue this brothership for as long as we are here. We have just given him a new title: the Strom Thurmond of the Arctic Circle. (Applause.) Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues in recognizing Senator Ted Stevens upon this milestone of his serving longer in this body than any other Republican Senator. This is a significant moment and our former President pro tempore of the Senate has set an impressive, historic accomplishment. I think this is most significant not because we are recognizing Ted Stevens for his length of service in this body, but rather because we are recognizing what Ted Stevens has accomplished in this institution as a U.S. Senator. There are few individuals who can equal his service and accomplishments as a true leader. As Alaska's Senior Senator, his steadfast and tenacious advocacy of his State and constituents is widely known. His career transcends Alaska's transition from a frontier and U.S. territory to an important and vibrant State. After earning his law degree at Harvard University, Ted Stevens moved to the heart of Alaska, the Chena River and Fairbanks, where he became a prosecutor and a U.S. attorney in the early 1950s. Ted quickly became a leader in the statehood movement and in 1956 he served his first assignment in Washington as the Department of Interior's legislative counsel and later Solicitor General. He later returned to Alaska and was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives where he became the majority leader and speaker pro tempore. In 1968 he was appointed to fill Senator Bartlett's seat in the U.S. Senate. He was elected to retain that seat in 1970 and has been a part of this institution ever since. Ted is a forceful and dedicated advocate for the people of Alaska. He has brought about significant economic development, be it clearing the way for North Slope petroleum development and the construction of the Alaska pipeline, the upcoming natural gas pipeline, countless small airports and aviation improvements, or overall basic infrastructure. He has been a tenacious advocate for the Alaskan fishing industry, including creation of the Exclusive Economic Zone to allow the sustainable harvest of the largest and most valuable fishery in the United States. It is not by chance that the basic law governing fisheries in this Nation is called the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Like most Alaskans, Ted is a true sportsman with a rich appreciation for the unique and special environmental resources of his State. Men and women fishing on the Kenai River or trolling off Cape Chacon or other waters need just look next to them, through sunshine or inclement weather, to see the Senior Senator from Alaska fishing for kings, or reds or silvers or halibut. Ted Stevens is an American Senator who has made tremendous contributions to U.S. security policy and defense posture since the 1960s. Ted Stevens left college to fight in the Second World War. Senator Stevens served in the Army Air Corps and flew support missions over the Himalayas to General Stillwell and our forces in the China/Burma theater. Since 1980, Senator Stevens has served as either chairman or ranking member of the Senate's Department of Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. The aircraft, the ships, the missiles, the tanks and combat vehicles, and the weapons systems that are manned by our dedicated men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces have been developed, procured and supported under Ted Stevens's steady and pragmatic leadership. The training, pay and support of our personnel have been carried out by programs that he championed and shepherded through the Congress. The ``operating tempos'' and readiness levels are items of personal interest for him. He is a champion of research and development to ensure our Nation's leadership is not diminished, and that America remains prepared to take on threats to its national security. As an appropriator, Ted Stevens has often focused on the business of national defense. Like others, he has been a champion of the ``top line'' for the Defense Budget, seeking to ensure that national security is remains a priority and receives appropriate funding. He has also dedicated long hours to ensuring that funds are not wasted and that priorities are addressed. Finally, Ted Stevens should be recognized for his work as a legislator in this body. Ted Stevens has authored and championed legislation far too numerous to list. He has left his mark on so many laws, policies and programs that benefit Americans across this Nation. For example, Ted Stevens has played a leadership role in our national space programs, and it was his personal effort that allowed NASA to recover from the Challenger disaster in 1986. He helped create the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has been the sponsor or cosponsor of countless significant pieces of environmental legislation. He has championed remote sensing satellites that protect our Nation from severe weather and is the author and foremost supporter of our Nation's ocean exploration program. Ted Stevens has also left his mark on every piece of telecommunications legislation over the past 20 years. He has put forward legislation that provides for our airports and air transportation systems, and terrorism countermeasures. He is a strong advocate for the Coast Guard and has overseen fleet, aircraft, and system modernization during the 1980s and 1990s. Ted Stevens has been a leader on issues as diverse as reform of U.S. civil service retirement programs, to the rules governing the operation of the U.S. Senate. So often it is Senator Stevens's style to be the workhorse and moving force behind legislation, but to let others receive the credit. He is a Senator who pulls up his sleeves and works and he is a man of his word. Ted is a dedicated family man--to his wife Catherine and his daughter Lily, and his children from his first marriage to Ann Stevens. Ted Stevens is a Senator who lives every day to the fullest. He is tireless. So Mr. President, it is very appropriate that the Senate convene here today to recognize and congratulate our Republican President pro tempore, the vice chairman of the Commerce Committee and the former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. We are here today to recognize the length of his service and the accomplishments of his Senate service. Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. Today, Senator Stevens has the distinct honor of becoming the longest serving Republican Senator in this Chamber. [[Page 8734]] I know of no greater patriot and lover of freedom than Ted Stevens. Whether flying his C-47 with the Flying Tigers in World War II, or serving in the Alaska House of Representatives, Senator Stevens' life is a model of heroism and personal integrity. Ted's tenure in the Senate has been equally impressive. He chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee for 6 years, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for 2 years, and served as the Senate President pro tempore for 4 years. In each and every one of these high offices, Ted served with dignity and distinction. As one who has had a stewardship over our Nation's military for many years, there is no greater friend to our men and women in the military than Senator Stevens. No one in Congress has done more to make our Nation's military the great institution it is today. We all rely heavily on Ted's expertise on so many defense-related matters, as I believe many in this body and throughout the Federal Government do. He is the Senate's greatest asset with regard to the needs of the military, and his knowledge about defense issues has proven invaluable every time this Nation has faced a crisis in the last four decades. Although Ted is not the tallest man in the Senate, my colleagues and I all look up to the senior Senator from Alaska. When he comes to work in his Incredible Hulk tie, you know he means business and is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure legislation which improves the lives of Americans gets safely sheparded through the Senate. It has been my privilege to know and work with Ted for many years here in the Senate, and even though he has been described by some as gruff and grouchy, I have always found him to be very helpful and patient. Take for example a few months ago when I was meeting with several constituents from Utah in my DC office. During our conversations, we found that we needed some expertise that only Ted could provide. I hurriedly called him at home in Alaska without pausing to calculate the time difference. Although it was midmorning where I was sitting in DC, it was quite early in the morning in Alaska where a groggy Ted Stevens courteously took my call, helped me with the information I needed, and--I hope--promptly went back to bed to finish his night's sleep. Ted has shown similar types of courtesy and kindness to several Members of this body and he has always proven able to balance the delicate, yet competing, needs to maintain good friendships and still move the work of the country forward even when all sides are not in agreement. Ted's wisdom and his character have served as an example to everyone he meets, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the people of the United States alongside my dear, dear friend, Senator Ted Stevens. So, from one old bull to another old bull, I would like to thank my good friend Ted for his friendship and leadership. Also, I would like to thank his wife Catherine for her selflessness and willingness to share her husband. The hours kept by a hard-working Senator are long and can be very demanding on families, but Catherine has been extremely patient and our Nation is grateful. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska is recognized. Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I am embarrassed but very grateful to my friends, our leader, Mr. McConnell, and my great friend and brother, Dan Inouye. Dan and I have been here a long time. Actually, he came to the Senate before I got here. I was downtown with the Eisenhower administration when he arrived in the Department of the Interior. I went home after that Presidency ended to Alaska and never expected to come back. But I did, and I am grateful for the outline of my service that our Republican leader has presented in the Senate. I can only say two or three things. One is that I would not be here now if it wasn't for a real understanding family. My first wife was, and my current wife, Catherine, has been supportive beyond anyone's understanding. It is a long way to go home. I remember one year I flew home 35 times--one day up and one day back, almost. But I have been away from my family a great deal. I have 6 children and 11 grandchildren and they have understood my commitment to the Senate. I do believe that it would be impossible to be here without that type of support. I also have been privileged and ask that after my remarks, I be permitted later to have printed in the Record a list of the dedicated young Alaskans who have come down and worked with me in various positions; also, those who have worked with me at home. I have had a series of distinguished chiefs of staff who have gone on to other functions and have shown what training in the Senate can do for a young person. I think over a dozen of my chiefs of staff have gone through law school working full time in my office and going to school full time. We sort of run a separate adjunct of the Senate, and that is a law school on the side, I think. I do believe I have had the honor of serving with many great people. I served with the people who were here when I came here--Senator Baker, Senator Mansfield, Senator Scott, Senator Magnuson, Senator Dole, Senator Jackson, Senator Cook, Senator Bible, Senator Bell, Senator Hollings--there are so many. I remember the time when Senator McClellan, who was chairman of the Appropriations Committee, took the whole committee up to Alaska because he was tired of asking me why I was seeking so much money. He decided to take the whole committee up there. We traveled through the State for 2 weeks. That doesn't happen now. I am surrounded by friends here on both sides of the aisle, and I am still very honored to be here. Let me close by saying I really think I am here because of the mentors I had in Alaska. Two publishers--Bill Snedden, publisher of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and Bob Atwood, publisher of the Anchorage Times--urged me to come to Washington to participate in the Eisenhower administration during our fight for statehood. I was lucky enough to tie into former Senator Fred Seaton who was Secretary of the Interior. I worked with him for a period of almost 4 years and left Washington as the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, his reward to me for our working together. I was also honored to follow a good friend, a friend I got to know during the territorial days as we fought for statehood, and that was Bob Bartlett. He was my predecessor. He was, during the time we were fighting for statehood, the delegate from the Territory of Alaska as a Democrat. I think our relationship was almost as close as the relationship I have with Senator Inouye. He was a fine man, a great and distinguished public servant for Alaska. I am honored to hold what Alaskans call the Bartlett seat. I thank my colleagues again for the courtesy all have shown me. I passed a milestone only because Strom made the mistake of being a Democrat for two terms. I am honored to have this recognition today. (Applause, Senators rising.) The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). The majority leader is recognized. Mr. REID. Mr. President, when I came to Washington, Senator Inouye--I am sorry, Senator Stevens. They are like brothers, and it is easy to get them mixed up--Senator Stevens had already been here 12 or 13 years. He has a distinguished service: 38 years in this Chamber, going on 15,000 votes, decorated pilot in World War II. But there are a number of instances that I want to spread on this record regarding Senator Stevens. First of all, he has a relationship that has already been mentioned with one of America's great people, Senator Dan Inouye. Dan Inouye, of course, is a Medal of Honor winner. A gentleman describes who he is. But the relationship between Senator Inouye and Senator Stevens, when the history books are written, will be legendary. They are friends, a Republican and a Democrat, who are like a couple of brothers. They have traveled the world over many times, and the relationship is something we should all recognize as [[Page 8735]] being possible in this Chamber. People of different parties from different parts of our United States can become friends. Party affiliation is secondary to their relationship. For me, the example they have set has paved the way for the relationship Senator Ensign and I have. We are from the same State, with totally different political philosophies, but our friendship is, in our own minds, comparable to that of Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye. Thank you very much, I say to Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye, for the example you have set for us. I also want to relate to everyone something that is remarkable to me. I was serving in the House of Representatives when Senator Alan Bible died. Senator Bible served in the Senate for 20 years. He was a great public servant from the State of Nevada and a dignified Senator who, because of illness, left the Senate after 20 years. When he died, there was a plane available to take anyone who wanted to go to the State of Nevada to his funeral. I went, and the only other Member of Congress who traveled to Nevada was Ted Stevens. It was a long way to Reno, NV, where Senator Bible was buried, but Ted Stevens went. Why did he go? Because on a very important vote to Senator Stevens that made the difference between Senator Stevens carrying the day or losing the day, Senator Bible stepped forward, as Senator Stevens said, courageously and voted with this Republican Senator. Think about that: Senator Bible was long gone, hadn't been in the Senate for many years. He died. But Senator Stevens remembered Senator Bible doing something that he thought was beyond the call of his democratic duty. And so Senator Stevens and I took this lonely flight to Reno, NV, to attend the funeral of my friend and Senator Stevens' friend, Senator Bible. That speaks volumes about the kind of person Senator Stevens is. One of the highlights of my congressional service has been the ability to travel all over the world. It is part of our obligation as Members of Congress to go see what American interests are doing around the world. On one of those trips, I signed up to go as a young Senator and was led by the great John Glenn and Ted Stevens. It was a memorable trip. I can remember--the Iron Curtain was down--leaving Austria and going into Czechoslovakia. They stopped the train. In came the KGB and other Iron Curtain soldiers. They looked under the train, in the train, and looked at all of us. We went into Prague, and in a little diner, bar, that evening, a man came in wearing a flight jacket, a World War II flight jacket. Of course, Senator Glenn and Senator Stevens had worn those flight jackets representing the United States as they flew airplanes: one a marine, one a member of the Army Air Corps. The conversation that night with that man, who probably was a KGB plant, as we talked later, developed into a great conversation. We were able to be regaled with conversations about Senator Glenn in World War II and Senator Stevens in World War II flying airplanes for America's interests around the world. I always will remember that. Finally, I say to Senator Stevens, at this desk right here, you watched me manage a few bills. We were able to finish an appropriations bill. You thought I helped a lot. So you gave me the distinct honor of giving me one of your Hulk ties, which I still have. (Laughter.) We laugh and joke about that, but it meant a lot to me that Senator Stevens thought enough of me to give me one of his ties. So I say to Senator Stevens, at this important occasion for you, of course, and our country, recognizing you, your service in this body, the longest serving Republican in the history of the Republic, I extend to you my appreciation and my friendship. (Applause, Senators rising.) The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the junior Senator from Alaska is on her feet. I wanted to make sure you saw her. She will be seeking recognition. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The junior Senator from Alaska is recognized. Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it gives me enormous pride to pay tribute to our senior Senator, to my senior Senator, Mr. Stevens, and to listen to the comments, to listen to the stories from so many of you as colleagues and friends. For so many years--I think my whole life--I have grown up hearing the stories about Senator Stevens, and to understand how today--tomorrow, actually--he makes history as the longest serving Republican Senator. What you all need to appreciate is that so much of the history of Ted Stevens is also the history of the State of Alaska. They are inextricably tied, and we know that. So to be able to share that with his friends and colleagues for so many years is so important. I truly appreciate the words of the Republican leader outlining the history, the very storied military career that Senator Stevens had, understanding how he went on to be the U.S. attorney for the territory at the time, his schooling through UCLA, through Harvard. Coming back to the State of Alaska is where we all kind of pick up with the history that is now legendary and is seen in so many places. Someone mentioned the Ted Stevens International Airport. We look around to so many of the monuments in the State, whether it is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that has been delivering oil to the lower 48 for the past 25-some-odd years--we look at those and we think: Ted Stevens. I don't know how many of you are aware of the history of our State as it relates to our lands and knowing and understanding that it was Ted Stevens who moved these forward, whether it was ANILCA, our land conservation act, the Native Claims Settlement Act, the effort to build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act, the Denali Commission--these are living legends, if you will, through legislation that came about through the dedication, through the persistence, through the urging of Senator Stevens. We all want to believe, certainly, that we work on behalf of the people we represent, but as we look to these legislative victories, these legislative successes that Senator Stevens has put in place over the years, I believe that truly demonstrates his commitment to the people of Alaska. When we think about providing the Native peoples with title to their lands, when we think about the educational challenges that face us in this enormous State with geographic and rural challenges that we can only imagine, when we think about how we provide health care in a State such as Alaska, all we need to do is look to the initiatives that have been put in place. Senator Stevens has always--always--kept Alaska first and has been very selfless in his efforts to put his State, to put the people of Alaska first. We lovingly call him throughout the State ``Uncle Ted.'' And you chuckle, but I think it is fair to say. They might not say it to your face, Ted, but behind your back they are always calling you Uncle Ted, because I hear it. They love it. The people of Alaska love it when you put on your Super Hero tie, when you wear the Hulk tie, because that is your signal that you mean business on behalf of the people of the State of Alaska. You know, talk about people who have minds as sharp as a tack, Ted will come up to me and we will be talking about something and he will say, You remember back in 1973 when so-and-so said something to so-and- so? And I am thinking, I was still in high school back then; no, I don't remember that. But he has such a grasp of the history and the facts. I appreciated his comment that he doesn't reminisce, but he is not going to let go of the factual background that has gotten us to where we are today. Senator Stevens mentioned those who have worked for him, and he and I have a unique relationship in that I was an intern for him. I credit him as my first political mentor here. Whether that means your staff will go on to succeed both you and me, who knows, but I look to what you have provided me as I have joined the family of the Senate here. I could not have asked for [[Page 8736]] a better mentor, a better colleague to work side by side with as we move forward to advance the interests of the State of Alaska. I know I will have you to work together with for years to come, and I join my colleagues again in acknowledging you on this truly historic occasion. I think it is fair to say, as an Alaskan, I feel personally blessed to have you and your leadership for our State and our Nation, and for that I thank you very much. (Applause, Senators rising.) Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the list of family and Senate staff to which I previously referred, be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Family My wife, Catherine Ann Stevens, my deceased wife, Ann Cherrington Stevens, who left us due to our 1978 accident. We have six children, Susan, Beth, Walter, Ted, Ben, and Lily; and our eleven grandchildren, Susan, Ben, Augustus, Theodore II (Ben and Elizabeth Stevens family), Sally Masako (Ted and Junko Stevens family), Ann, Rachel and Elizabeth (Walter and Debbie Stevens family), Laura Beth, John Peter, and Sara Ann (Susan and David Covich family). ____ Senate Staff Chiefs of Staff Ron Birch; George Nethercutt; Tim McKeever; Rebecca Cox; Bill Phillips; Greg Chapados; Lisa Sutherland; Mitch Rose; Carol White; Dave Russell; George Lowe. Former Staff in the Whip Office Susan Alvarado--one of the first professional female staff assistants to leadership. Larry Burton--whip office. DeLynn Henry--long term scheduler. Staff Directors Appropriations--Steve Cortese, Jim Morhard; Commerce--Lisa Sutherland, Christine Kurth; Government Affairs--Wayne Schley, Al McDermott; Rules--Al McDermott; Ethics--Bill Canfield; Whip--Rebecca Cox; President Pro Tempore Office-- Jennifer Lowe; President Pro Tempore Emeritus Office--George Lowe. Alaska Staff Barb Andrews Mee; Marie Nash; Edie Opinsky; Jim Egan; Gloria McCutcheon; Ruth Burnett; Mike Dalton; Diane Hutchinson; Connie McKenzie. ____ Current and Former Stevens' Personal Office Staffers From 1969 to April 12, 2007 (*Current Staff Member) A Albrittain, Nancy A.; Alexander, David M.; Allen, Dorothy M.; Alowa, Allen D.; Alvarado, Susan E.; Alvord, Melanie A.; Andrews, Barbara A. (now Andrews-Mee); Andrews, Christina; Angerman, Lillie; Arai, T. Juliette; Aravosis, John G.; Arness, Peggy M.; Arnold, Susan L.; *Arthur, Will. B Bahmer, Barbara A.; Bahmer, Gale O.; Bailey, Helen S.; Baker, Bridget L.; Baker, Elizabeth Anna-Marie; Baker, Laurie; Ballash, Heather L.; Banks, Gary S.; Barbagallo, Nelly E.; Barnes, Mark; Bartosik, Curtis J.; Bass, Sandra R.; Bates, Gwendolyn J.; Behm, Yvonne D.; Beighle, Jon J.; Belcher, Janet B.; Belon, Valerie L.; *Bennett, Doris C.; Bennett, Patricia A.; Bergstrom, Minta C.; Bertoson, Todd; *Bertrand, Joel; Binns, Mahalia J.; Birch, Ronald G.; Blackwell, Michelle; Blanchard, Virginia; Boatman, Robert W.; Bolton, Jerry K.; Bookout, Cynthia R.; Bombeck, Tui; Boone, Courtney; Bourassa, Phillippe H.; Boyer, Robert L.; Brandman, Sonja; Brandt-Erichsen, Svend A.; Braniff, Mimi; Brewer, Martha J.; Bridenbaugh, Kathleen A.; Briggs, Michael G.; Britt, Gloria; Britt, Sharon M.; Brown, Benjamin E.; Brown, Charlie L.; Brown, Lauren E.; Brown, Sylvia H.; Bryant, Julie; Bullock, George D.; Bundy, Elliot; Burnett, John S.; Burnett, Ruth E.; Burnett, Suzanne; Burnett, Wally; Burton, Larry D.; Butzlaff, Nathan B. C Cabaniss, Virginia Dale; Call, Kay L.; *Campbell, Nikki; Carlisle, Margo D.B.; Carlson, Thomas L.; Castillo, Florence A.; Causey, Janel (Anderson); Chaffins, Katherine E.; Chapados, Greg; Chapek, Rebekah A.; Christian, Diana F.; Christie, Monica A.; Chomski, Kathleen (Brown); Ciccone, Christine M.; Cipra, Fredesvinda K.; Clancy, Lynda E.; Clark, Jane B.; Clements, Barbara; Clements, Charles; Cole, Brent; Collins, William L., III; Colver, Jane D.; Comstock, Earl W.; *Connell, Elizabeth J.; Covington, G. Dianne; Constantine, Janet A.; Cook, Caroline W.; Cook, Cora J.; Corbin, Lelani; Corthell, Lisa L.; Costello, Earle E.; Covington, G. Dianne; Cowen, James S.; Cowen, Joseph D.; Cox, Rebecca (Gernhardt); Craddick, Elaine L.; Craddick, Jan O.; Crawford, James M.; Crews, Darcy L.; Crittenden, Benjamin R.; Crittenden, Evelyn M.; Crittenden, Harriet C.; Crosley, Margy M.; Crossman, Sally J.; Crow, Michelle (now Maher); Cullen, Ann P. D Dalton, Kathleen F.; Dames, Edna M.; Dames, John C.; Daniels, Lorna; Darnell, Joseph; Davidge, Ric; *Davis, Mark; Dearring, Barbara G.; *Demopoulos, Nicolia; Derr, H.J.; Devore, Jon M.; Devore, Michelle (Butler); Dewhirst, Mary K.; Dickey, H. Gen; Dietz, Suzanne; Dinneen, Mark K.; Dittman, David; Dittman, Terry; Dixon, Karen G.; Donahue, Helen S.; Doogan, Laura; Dow, Wendi; Drager, Philip J.; Droege, Phillip; Dunbar, Henry T. E *Eames, Seth; Egan, James B.; Eklund, Nancy A.; Elerding, Mary Jane; Elliott, Norman H., IV; Elwell, Dan; *Engibous, Robyn; Evans, Ernest H. F Farr, Meghan; Farrell, Alycia; Fate, Julie Y.; Faunce, Mary L.; Feind, Gena M.; Ferguson, John D.; Ferguson, Pamela G.; Fessenden, Lori Ann; Fink, Joshua; Fitch, Karen M.; Flanders, Barbara; Flannigan, Michael J.; Fradley, Dennis C.; Franz, Joan L.; Fraser, Robert C.; Frazier, Ernest M.; Freitag, Renee; Friehlke, Ann; Fromuth, Peter J.; Fuller, Douglas S.; Fuller, Kimberly A. G Gallagher, Hugh G.; Gayman, Carol (Steiner); German, Penelope S.; Gibson, Duane R.; Gilman, Bradley D.; Gilman, Lisa C.K.; Gilman, Margaret; Gimm, Viola M.; Glasmann, Michael J.; Godwin, Agnes C.; Goodman, Stuart A.; Gore, Mary; Grane, Kimberly; Grant, Ian; Graves, Roger K.; Gray, Louise A.; Green, Isaac A.; Greisen, David; Gregg, Samantha C.; Griffiths, Leslie O.; Groseclose, Robert B.; Gruenberg, Max F., Jr.; Gustufson, Carol. H Haggart, Richard G.; Halcomb, Patricia M.; Henry, Diana L. (now Diana H. West / then Diana H. Barnhart); Hall, Lisa C.; Halvarson, Janet M.; Hansen, Paul G.; Hanson, Ingrid C.; Harrison, Ardine; Haugen, Leif; Hayes, James; Hayes, Lindsay; Hays, Dorothy A.; Hefke, Nancy L.; Hegg, Ruth E.; Hegyi, Karen R.; Henry, Diana; *Henry, Martha DeLynn; Henthorn, Deborah T.; Herman, Margaret G.; Hess, Carol (Logan); Hess, Kelly A.; Hett, Susan Elaine; Hickling, Elizabeth M.; Highbaugh, Rita K.; Hill, Cynthia L.; Hilscher, Hilary J.; Hinkley, Jeanette (Nichols); Hobbs, Mary Jo; Hodson, Lona M.; Hogan, John J.; Hozey, John; *Hughes, Brian; Hultberg, Rebecca L.; Hutchison, Diane. I Iani, Frances S.; Irrigoo, Connie; Ivko, Terri L. J Jaehning, Leslie; Jeffress, R.D.; Jennings, Malin T.; Jessup, Carolyn R,; Johansen, Gary L.; Johnsen, Krag A.; Johnson, Louise L.; Johnson, Myrtle F.; Johnson, Rhonda; Johnson, Robert W.; Johnston, Martha R.; Jolly, Claire Anne; Jones, G. Kevin. K Kaplan, Gregory D.; Katongan, Adeline R.; Katz, John W.; Keller, Kristen L.; Kelly, Ernest B., III; Kemppel, Denali A.; Kerezy, John D.; *Kerley, Patrick J.; Kerttula, Anna M.; Kidd, Margaret L.; King, Sara L.; Kirchoff, Scharine; Kloster, Kendra; Konigsberg, Charles S.; Kozie, Michelle; Kron, Stephanie A.; Kurth, Christine. L Lack, Jonathon H.; Ladd, Priscilla D.; Lahmeyer, Lillian A.; Lahmeyer, Michelle E.; Landry, Jeffrey; Lang, Cheri A.; Lang, Deborah S.; Langton, Michal; Lappi, Karen D.; Larson, Dean M.; Larson, Michelle R.; *Laudenberger, Theresa A.; Layton, Mark; Lawrie, Heather A.; *Leathard, Scott; Lee, Claire K.P.; Leonard, Lindsay; Lewis, Irene C.; Lock, Kathleen M.; Loewen, Reuben M.; Logan, Douglas M.; Longnecker, Barbara A.; Louis, Claudia J.; Lounsbury, Joel; *Lowe, George H., IV; Lowe, Jennifer (Mies); Lund, Thomas R.; Lundquist, Andrew. M Macauly, Margie M.; Maculay, Gail C.; Magnusson, Lori M.; Mai, Audra M.; *Maitlen, Brandon; Maloney, Wayne; Martin, Bernadette V.; Martin, Guy R.; Mason, Paisley; Matsuno-Nash, Marie; May, Terence; McAlpin, Jay A.; McCabe, John T.; McClees, Charles J., Jr.; McCuthheon, Gloria; McGuire, Lesil L.; McInerney, Anne E.; McInturff, Janell A.; McKeever, Timothy A. McKenzie, Connie; McLeod, Phillip W.; Menduno, F.M.; Messina, Gary S.; *Michalski, Nathan; Miller, Alexis R.; Miller, Terrence B.; Mock, Lisa C.; Moore, Elizabeth M.; Moran, Margaret A.; Moran, Michael P.; Morgheim, Jeffrey S. Motley, Allison H.; Motznik, Lavonne L.; Murdey, Phyllis M.; Murphy, Ann Marie; Murphy, Lynne F. (now Hill); *Musgrove, John; Musko, Tonja J.; Myers, Joanne. N Nelson, James B.; Nethercutt, George R., Jr.; Newman, Kathryn C.; Nichols, Steven; Nicolet, Katherine L.; Niemi, Celia B.; Nikzad, Cheri A.; Norton, Katherine H.; Nosek, Peter C. O O'Hara, Kristina D.; O'Leary, Michael S.; Odom, Jane H.; Odom, Milton W., III; Oliver, [[Page 8737]] Lori Ann; Olson, Lori A.; O'Keefe, Sean; O'Keefe, Shannon B.; Opinsky, Celine; Opinsky, Edith M.; Osborne, Jason M.; Otierney, Daniel P.; Oursler, Susan J.; Owletuck, George N. P *Palmer, Suzanne; Parker, Carole A.; Parsons, James; Patton, Penny E.; Paxton, Matthew; Pence, Randall G.; Perdue, Karen R.; Perles, Steven R.; Peterson, Darwin; Peyton, Leonard James; Phillips, William D.; Pierce, Rosemary D.; Pignalberi, Marco A.; Pillifant, Thomas H.; Pinnolis, Barry R.; Plunk, Karen S.; Powers, Penny S.; Pugh, Kristen; Pusich, Shannon M. Q Quam, Dana C.; Quinlan, Clarissa M.; Quisenberry, Jack B.; Quist, Linda A. R *Raabe, Aprille; Radakovich, Keith K.; Raffeto, John C.; Randall, William T.; Range, Kimberly D.; Rawson, Debra; Raymond, Patricia A.; Reeve, Mary; Reeves, Katharine E.; Rice, Eugenie A.; Richard, Ryan R.; Richards, Bonnie E.; Richardson, Linda L.; Richmond, Kristen K.; Rickett, Robert R.; Rideout, Anita; Rigos, Chris J.; Robbins, Jane A.; *Robbins, Mark; Roberts, Laury; Rogers Candice; Rogozinski, Janet L.; Roots, John; Rose, Mitchell F.; Rosenquist, Jane S.; Rosenquist, Matthew; Rosenwald, Cynthia M.; Rubinstein, Pamela A.; Ruff, Richard; Rugg, William J.; Rushton, A. Lyell, III; Russell, David C. S Sandahl, Virginia; *Saunders, Aaron; Schabacker, Chris; Schaefermeyer, Darryl J.; Schafer, Jennifer A.; Schemmel, Cheryl A.; Schley, Wayne A.; Schneider, Mark; Schroer, Jo Anne W.; Schultheis, Bruce E.; Schwartz, Judith A.; Scott, Shirley A.; Seekins, Kerri L.; Seelbaugh, Patricia A.; Shaftel, Douglas; Sharp, Amy R.; Shaver, Victoria L.; Shaw, Douglas B.; Shepherd, Leslie C.; Sherbert, Eva M.; Shore, Mary E.; Shoup, Sharon; Silver, Steven W.; Simpson, Maryann; Slick, Sherrie A.; Slovikosky, Beverly A.; Smith, Robert B.; *Sorensen, Ray; Southall, A. Doris; Spaan, Michael R.; Sparck, Amy; Sparck, Michelle; Spencer, Mark E.; Spils, Carol A.; *Spinelli, Lindsey; Springer, Mark A.; St. Sauver, Beverly K.; Staser, Jeffrey B.; Stealey, Katherine; Stealey, Mary L.; Stenehjem, Connie M.; Stengl, Susan P.; Stepovich, Antonia M.; Stepovich, Laura M.; Stepovich, Melissa M.; Stevens, Elizabeth (Engelken); Steverson, Judith (Garnett); Stiefel, Justin; Stokes, Robert C., III; Stone, Michelle A.; Stone, Sandra; Sullivan, H. Paul, Jr.; Sumpter, Gerri; Sunne, Anne C.; Sutherland, Lisa; Sutherland, Scott A.; Swan, Lulu; Sykes, Gwendolyn; T Taft, Margo L.; Tanner, Patrick; Terlesky, Juanita S.; Tess, Terry L.; Todd, James M.; Todd, Karen G.; Tony, Paul D.; Trimble, Mary H.; Thompson, Pamela S.; Trump, Marsha V.; Teeley, Sandra E.; Turner, Lewis N.; Tyser, Sue E. U Utter, Brian. V Vallet, Paul P.; Vaughn, Philip; Vanderjack, Andrew; Verble, Saga O.; Von Gemmingen, Brett; Vrem, Lisa S. W *Wackowski, Steve; Wagoner, Norman B.; Wallace, John Foster; *Waller, Karina; Weaver, Karen; Weaver, Robert C., Jr.; Weddle, Aaron; Wahto, Heidi A.; Weddle, Justin; Weidlein, Patricia M.; Weiss, Kelly S.; Webster, Patricia S.; West, Jade C.; Wheeler, Ruth B.; White, Carol M.; Wilken, Alan W.; Williams, Cynthia G.; *Williams, Kate N.; Winn, Robert L.; Wold, Joanne; Wolek, Gail A.; Williams, Anne M.; Wonder, E. Paul; Wesley, David H.; Wood, Sarah A.; Woodrow, Shirley A.; Woodworth, Glen E. Y Yarmon, Joel; Yauney, James A. ____________________