Honoring Senator Ted Stevens

Floor Speech

HONORING SENATOR TED STEVENS -- (Senate - June 04, 2007)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, it is a great pleasure to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Senator TED STEVENS on becoming the longest serving Republican in Senate history. While this is a milestone to celebrate, the true cause for celebration is not TED STEVENS' decades of service to his party or to this Chamber but his lifetime of service to our Nation.

It is a record of service that began long before TED STEVENS came to the Senate nearly four decades ago, long before his contributions in the Alaska Legislature in the earliest days of statehood, long before he helped establish our 49th State at the Department of the Interior during President Eisenhower's administration. At just 19 years of age, with his country under attack and freedom in jeopardy around the world, TED STEVENS joined the Army Air Corps in 1943, flying support missions for the legendary Flying Tigers. That courage to take the risks and that willingness to step forward to meet the challenges are the foundation of his character and of his service.

I have been privileged to work alongside this Senator on the Homeland Security Committee. On every issue we confront, TED STEVENS demonstrates great knowledge and a total commitment to protecting our Nation and our people.

Alaska and Maine are separated by a great many miles, but our two States have much in common, including spectacular scenery, and rugged, self-reliant people. Our States also share a connection to the sea that is central to our history and our future. From the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976 to his work to better protect marine mammals, TED STEVENS demonstrates again and again a deep commitment to the hard-working people who sustain countless coastal communities and an abiding respect for the natural resources that bless us all.

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