WASHINGTON (CN) - The Senate on Thursday honored the late Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, who died in a small plane crash in Alaska Monday night.
In a special session in which the Senate briefly reconvened from its August recess, senators approved a resolution honoring Stevens by unanimous consent. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., also asked for the chamber to observe a moment of silence in honor of the late senator.
Stevens, 86, was a World War II veteran and the longest-serving Republican senator. He served as president pro tempore of the Senate from 2003 to 2007.
Stevens "never stopped fighting for the people of the pioneer state for over 40 years as its senior senator," Schumer said. Stevens was instrumental in helping Alaska achieve statehood in 1959.
Stevens was known for sometimes wearing an Incredible Hulk tie on the Senate floor, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he counted the Hulk tie that he received from Stevens as one of his prized possessions.
The resolution, introduced by Alaskan Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, honored his Senate tenure and legacy in Alaska.
"It is a fitting tribute that the Senate will convene to recognize the life and accomplishments of Sen. Stevens, an Alaska legend and patriot who served our state and nation with the highest distinction," Murkowski wrote in a statement. "From the fight for statehood to the end of his distinguished career in the United States Senate, Ted Stevens shaped the history of Alaska and leaves an enormous legacy that will stand for all time."
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