Stevens, 86, and Byrd, who died Monday at 92, met during the Eisenhower administration, when Byrd was a freshman senator and Stevens worked for the Interior Department. When Stevens became one of Alaska's senators in 1968, Byrd gave him some important advice.
"He told me to try to get on the Appropriations Committee and advised me to get on there as soon as I could," Stevens said Tuesday.
The men alternated chairmanship of the powerful committee in the latter parts of their careers, allowing them to direct billions of dollars to Alaska and West Virginia.
Though Byrd was a Democrat and Stevens a Republican, Stevens said Byrd came from a different, less-partisan era, when the sides were willing to work together. He said Byrd understood many of Alaska's struggles because he, too, represented a state with a small population.
But there were differences. In December 2005, Stevens called it "the saddest day of my life" when a Democratic filibuster blocked an effort to sell oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Byrd was one of the most vocal critics of the idea, acknowledging his long-standing friendship with Stevens but saying that the way the legislation was worded, it would have violated Senate rules and allowed the Senate to add any provision to any bill at any time by temporarily suspending and then reinstating the rules whenever convenient.
"He was very committed to Senate rules and procedures," Stevens said. "There's kind of a hole in the Senate now. No one there really knows the rules or where they came from like him."
Stevens said Byrd was kind to him when he went on trial for failing to properly report gifts in 2008, a conviction later overturned. Stevens said he spoke with Byrd 15 to 20 times after leaving the Senate and they never discussed business -- only friends and family.
"I think the Senate has lost a great voice," Stevens said.
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