Byron Dorgan: “I come to the floor to add a word about my friend whom we have lost, Senator Craig Thomas. Craig was from the State of…”

“I come to the floor to add a word about my friend whom we have lost, Senator Craig Thomas. Craig was from the State of Wyoming. He was from the northern Great Plains. Last evening, when I heard he had died, I spent a lot of time thinking about Craig and about this place. Most Americans see the partisanship. This is actually a political body, so it is not unusual there would be some partisanship. What most Americans never have the opportunity to see is the friendship. This is a small community of 100 Members of the Senate, men and women who come from every part of our country who are elected to serve. There is a great deal of friendship that exists in this Chamber, even in the middle of all of the politics that exists in our political system. Senator Craig Thomas was an interesting and a wonderful man. I have had, especially the last 6 months, an opportunity to work very closely with him. I knew him as a Member of the House of Representatives. I knew him as a Member of the Senate and a colleague in both the House and the Senate. But the last 6 months we worked together, I as chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee and Craig Thomas as vice chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. We sat next to each other, hour after hour, hearing after hearing, and I got to know a lot about Craig Thomas that I had not previously known. His word was his bond. He was quick with a smile.”