Oil industry group mourns Stevens

But he fell short in his decades-long push to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, calling a late 2005 vote that defeated ANWR drilling “the saddest day of my life.”

Several lawmakers reacting to his death cited his advocacy for domestic drilling.

“Ted’s work continues to touch the lives of millions of Americans
through his strong support for our military, revolutionizing the
nation’s fishing industry, his establishment of the U.S. Olympic
Committee, and his persistent efforts to achieve American energy
independence,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

But Stevens’s ties to the oil industry also brought him trouble. Stevens was found guilty in 2008 of failing to report gifts from an Alaskan oil services company; the conviction was later thrown out due to misconduct by federal prosecutors.

—This post was updated at 5:04 p.m.