Political Quotes

“Mr. President, Senator Sullivan and I are here this afternoon on the Senate floor, and we are here with heavy hearts. We are joined in the Galleries by friends of Alaska because, last Friday, our Congressman, Congressman Don Young--the Congressman for all Alaska and the dean of the House, who served our 49th State ably and faithfully for the last 49 years--passed away as he was flying home to be with the people of Alaska. Seated next to his wife, Anne, he passed peacefully and left this world. There is no doubt--there is no doubt--that Congressman Young lived a large and full life. He was 88 years young, and we always referred to him as ``young,'' not old. He accomplished an incredible amount across the many decades that he served Alaska and served his country, but that doesn't make the loss any less sudden or any less devastating, and it doesn't change the fact that we are now left with a hole the size of Alaska in our congressional delegation. We were a team. We were small but mighty. The Presiding Officer has heard me, on this floor, talk about the Last Great Race, the Iditarod, and that no dog team--no dog team--can make it without the leader. We all know that. You have got the swing dog, and you have got the wheel dog, and we have all kind of taken different points on that team, but it has always been with Don Young. I was home over the weekend. I spent the weekend there, reflecting on Don Young's life and on his legacy.…”