During the time I was a City Councilman in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and was active in the National League of Cities I was befriended by a number of Alaskans. They are great people, who often helped me with issues related to Beach Re-nourishment and in turn I was always a big supporter of their issues mainly oil drilling in ANWR, the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. I was no where near as successful in helping them as they were with helping me in our roles as members of the Energy , Environment, and Natural Resources Committee.
But it was through those relationships that I became familiar with the work of the Alaskan Federal Delegation. Though I always considered Senator Ted Stevens one of my favorite political figures, it was during this time I grew far more familiar with Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young. This episode features both, but it is in tribute to Representative Don Young.
Don Young, the Dean of the House, is one of American History's great characters and on top of that one of Congresses most effective legislators too. He was always fun and always in the middle of debates important to his home state of Alaska and in turn to our country too. He set a fine example of how our political leaders should act by being able to argue, often aggressively on an issue, but still maintain the type of relationships that can get things done.
Young had his moments , like pulling a knife on Speaker Boehner or chewing historian Douglas Brinkley out on C-Span, but always he was able to effectively take care of the needs of his people in Alaska, especially the Native Americans so in need of the Federal help he and his collogues Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski fought to provide them. They were a tiny delegation but packed a mighty punch and got an enormous amount of things done on behalf of Alaska. Don Young was a central part of that effort, the only member of the House of Representatives from Alaska and the only one most Alaskans have ever known.
When he passed away suddenly, on his way back home, on March 18, 2022, he had served in Congress 49 years. Don Young was the longest serving Republican in the history of Congress, the oldest member of the house at age 88, and the last person serving who had been elected in the 1970's. Don Young had also been chosen as the single most effective legislator on Capital Hill and hands down he had the best office décor in all of Washington D.C.
In this episode we look back at his remarkable career, through his own words, and in the words of Senator Lisa Murkowski as she addressed the Senate on Don Young's life just after he passed away. There is no question that whomever is elected to the Alaska at Large U.S. House seat, they will have a great example to follow and have enormous shoes to fill.
The Don Young Office tour courtesy of Roll Call
https://youtu.be/bAsMKV6TSRw
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