Pete Domenici: “on April 13, 2007, my dear friend and colleague Senator Ted Stevens became the longest serving Republican Senator in the…”

“on April 13, 2007, my dear friend and colleague Senator Ted Stevens became the longest serving Republican Senator in the history of this body. Today, I would like to pay tribute to my friend and his more than 38 years of service to our Nation and the people of Alaska. I have known and worked with Ted for over 34 years. We have served together on the Appropriations, Budget, and Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committees and many others. Ted and I have been in the Senate together for so long some of the committees on which we served no longer exist. We have collaborated on more pieces of legislation than I can remember and worked to resolve many issues. Most recently, I was thankful for his hard work in the effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and increase the strategic security of the country. I am happy to say Ted has made the trip to New Mexico and I to Alaska so we could appreciate the needs of each other's home States. I have also had the pleasure of taking several trips with Ted abroad, some more enjoyable than others. One that stands out in my mind is the fact-finding trip we took to North Korea several years ago to better understand the threat that nation poses to the world. I don't believe many people can say they have traveled there, even fewer can say they did it with Ted Stevens. I am very thankful I can.”