Remembering Senator Ted Stevens

Floor Speech

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Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, it wasn't an hour ago that we saw the lofty formation of four jets flying in formation over the burial site of Ted Stevens. Then, just as it passes over the site, one of the jets heads up, breaks formation, and heads into the sky above the others. It is such a memorable moment. I have seen this now twice, this formation. It is so memorable for me on this particular occasion because it is about a man who is so memorable.

Senator Ted Stevens served in this body for many years and is ``Mr. Alaska'' to this Nation's Capital and to many of the people in his home State. He is one of those soaring, towering figures who served in this body. He died at age 86 in a tragic accident, but he leaves a memory and a legacy that won't be forgotten.

One of the things I find so endearing about the memory of Ted Stevens is his tenacity in his work and his belief in the body. This guy would fight tirelessly for his State, for his beliefs, and for this body. He did it for a lengthy period of time through a number of different administrations and was an institution in and of his own right in what he did. I know the Presiding Officer, who works in this body and has served in this body, is someone who remembers Ted Stevens similarly.

I didn't realize some of the other aspects the Chaplain of the Senate talked about. There were about 6 years when Ted was President pro tempore of the Senate, so he would open the Senate every day. He would open the Senate, pledge allegiance to the flag, and then came the prayer. Senator Stevens at that time would go to the Chaplain and say: Let's bring up the prayer pressure, Chaplain--really urging him and us forward and to do things better and better for this country. It is a marvelous legacy to think about and to know about.

One of the beauties of serving in this body--and this is my last year in this body--is the people you get to meet and get to know. One thing that is always so striking to me is that while we deal with policy issues all the time, it is the people whom you touch who are so important and so critical. I think too often we look at it as a policy debate when I think we really should be looking at people's relationships. I say that from the standpoint that we need to be better in working together.

Ted Stevens had a beautiful relationship with Chairman Inouye across the aisle in the Appropriations Committee. It is often those relationships that get things done. People lament in leaving this body that it has gotten less civil, it is this or it is that. My analysis is that it has gotten less relational, and that is the real problem, is that people don't have relationships across the aisle with people whom they talk with and with whom they are friends. They disagree. They disagree on a lot of different things. They disagree probably on most things that are voted on. Yet when it comes to the end of the day and we have to get something moving and done, it is that relationship of trust and that here is a person who is a friend that you can work with is what counts. I think that is what we really need to look at much more, the relational needs. It is not something you can artificially do. It is something that has to take place over a period of time. It is something that has to take place over probably a period of a series of projects where, after a period of time, you say, you know, this is a person whom I can work with, whom I relate well with, and whom I trust. I think it is that trust that gets things done at the end of the day. It is that sort of thing you could often see in Ted Stevens.

Whenever Ted Stevens gave his word, you knew it was going to happen. If he had any way of doing it, it would be according to what he said. I had a friend of mine who once said that when a man breaks his word, it breaks the man. You could look at Ted Stevens and the guy was consistent; if he said he was going to do something, it was something he would stand with, and that is a good trait.

I bring these memories of Ted to the floor at a time when we have just witnessed the jet fly up toward the sky in memory of Ted Stevens and of his spirit and of his relational nature that he had within this body, with people he knew and who knew him, who trusted him and whom he trusted. I really commemorate that way of service, that time of service. I also commend to Members continuing in this body that we be a lot more relational and intentional about relating to one another so that we really look for those chances to do that.

God bless you, Ted Stevens.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the survivors, certainly, of that terrible plane crash that took Senator Stevens.

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