Lawmaker News

LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Tuesday on the passing of former Senate President Pro Tempore Ted Stevens of Alaska:

ANCHORAGE, AK – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski today made the following statement after learning of the tragic death of Sen. Ted Stevens and others in a plane crash near Dillingham:

“Last night, Alaska lost a hero and I lost a dear friend. The thought of losing Ted Stevens, a man who was known to business and community leaders, Native chiefs and everyday Alaskans as ‘Uncle Ted,’ is too difficult to fathom. His entire life was dedicated to public service—from his days as a pilot in World War II to his four decades of service in the United States Senate. He truly was the greatest of the ‘Greatest Generation.’

Many of us have nearly forgotten an era in which it was commonplace for a person to be denied employment because she was blind, or unable to attend a university because he was in a wheelchair—an era in which people with disabilities were second-class citizens. That treatment sparked a small but powerful equal-opportunity movement—and, twenty years ago today, that movement celebrated a pivotal success: the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The ADA codified the ideal that no one should suffer discrimination because of a disability. It shattered barriers, opening our buildings, sidewalks, schools, public transportation, and workplaces to Americans with disabilities.

Some say change is inevitable, I say, in several instances, change is needed. This day I honor my colleague Sen. Robert Byrd for his change. A man known as a constitutional scholar; the master of the rules of the Senate; a living encyclopedia; the longest serving senator in American history; a kind and warm person whom I so admired. That was Sen. Robert Byrd.

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In a town where the instinct is to get in front of the camera, and spout the sound-bite first, Senator Byrd understood the value of silence. He liked to take the time to formulate his thoughts, pausing mid-sentence for a moment or so, as his listeners waited nervously, unsure whether they were supposed to speak. He mischievously basked in the tension of a pregnant pause.

He liked to build drama in his oratory, so he kept his opinions close. Even on noncontroversial matters, he rarely said how he would vote. He reveled in being the decisive vote, walking into the Senate Chamber as senators and reporters speculated about what he would do.

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I too would like to say a few words about our departed colleague.

The first thing to say is that we’re sorry — first and foremost, to the family, but also to the staff of Senator Byrd, for their loss.

The next thing to say is that it’s a sad day for the United States Senate.

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Robert Byrd’s was one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen. From his graduation as valedictorian of his high school class at the age of 16 to his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee until the age of 91, he mastered everything he touched with great thoughtfulness and skill. Throughout more than half a century of service in this body, and six more in the House, Senator Byrd never stopped fighting for the people of West Virginia and for Democratic principles. My thoughts, and those of the entire United States Senate, are with the Byrd family.

Today our country has lost a true American original, my friend and mentor Robert Byrd.

Senator Byrd was a man of surpassing eloquence and nobility. I will remember him most for a heartfelt comment he made to me in the dark days following 9/11, when my state of New York was reeling and we were scrambling to provide support and relief. “Think of me as the third senator from New York,” he said.  And he meant it. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Byrd, who chaired the Appropriations Committee, New Yorkers got the help they needed. I will never forget his devotion and his friendship in that critical time.

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The United States Senate has lost an icon, and the people of West Virginia a beloved son who was woven into the very fabric of our state.

Gayle and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and great senior Sen. Robert C. Byrd.