Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
03.24.22
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, spoke on the Senate floor last night to honor the life and legacy of the Congressman for All Alaska, Don Young, who passed away last Friday, on March 18, 2022.
Click here for video of Senator Murkowski’s speech.
Click here for video of Senator Sullivan’s speech.
“It has been a tough few days for our office. Our hearts are still heavy, but the sheer outpouring of love and support for our boss, Congressman Don Young, has meant the world to us. As a boss, he was unlike any other. Congressman Young wasn’t just an unrelenting advocate for Alaska, but also the biggest supporter of his staff in both Alaska and D.C. The relationship between a Member of Congress and their staff is vital for the people they serve. With Congressman Young, there was never a question of whether or not he had our backs. He saw talent within each of us and built a second-to-none team to serve his constituents. Congressman Young empowered his staff every day to get the job done on behalf of Alaskans. For 49 years, Congressman Young stood strong for the 49th State, and across this incredible career, his staff became a family. We are especially grateful to Senators Murkowski and Sullivan for honoring Congressman Young and his tremendous record of accomplishments on the Senate Floor. Current and former Alaska Delegation staff have stood by us in this difficult moment, and we could not be more thankful. Like so many others whose lives he touched, we loved our boss. There will never be another Don Young. We take comfort in knowing that his legacy will inspire future generations of public servants to stand up for Alaska just as passionately as he did,” said Congressman Young’s former staffers, now operating as the Office of Alaska At-Large.
“For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing Congressman Young, as so many Alaskans did, he was all of the things that have been written and said about him these past several days. He was all of that—and more. He was larger than life, as colorful as they come. He was tough, gruff, and very feisty. But he was also warm and engaging. He was charming. But most of all, he was passionate; he was a passionate man about Alaska, and Alaskans, to his very core. And he was loyal and devoted—to his family, friends, and staff who served him. And he was loyal to the state and the people he loved so dearly,” said Senator Murkowski. “Being a Congressman for Alaska requires every last bit of you. It requires tremendous sacrifice, from you and your family. If you doubt that, just ask Anne Walton Young. Since they married in 2015, she has been by his side literally every day—in the office and traveling. She knows the work ethic of this man and the heart of this man and how hard he worked for all Alaska. From his first day through his last, Don Young gave it his all. And, as a true man of the people, he was the perfect Alaskan to serve in the people’s chamber.”
“Don Young has been great friends with presidents and world leaders, but what really motivated and moved him was helping people, especially Alaskans. It didn’t matter their title, their political affiliation—he just wanted to help people,” said Senator Sullivan. “When we lost Don Young, we lost a piece of Alaska, a piece of ourselves, a piece of his indomitable, irascible spirit. But his spirit will live on in everything that he has done for our state and every Alaskan, from the trans-Alaska pipeline to the Ketchikan Shipyard, to the many land exchanges, to the health clinics dotting our state, to the state-of-the-art Alaska Native medical center, and in his wonderful family.”