U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, 88, will retire from the Senate when the 118th Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2023.
Shelby first became one of Alabama’s two senators 36 years ago on January 3, 1987. At the time, he was a Democratic lawmaker, though the Republican Party was well on its way to convince him to switch parties. Shelby, a conservative “Southern Democrat” supported then-President Ronald Reagan’s economic agenda and often backed the Republican Party on issues of taxes and defense.
Read more on retiring Senator Richard Shelby:
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- Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby on Jan. 6: ‘I never thought I’d see that in America’
- Sen. Richard Shelby on Trump: An ‘interesting guy’ but ‘different’
- Tuberville, Shelby vote against federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages
Shelby became a Republican in November 1994, one day after the “Gingrich Revolution” of that year’s midterm elections in which the GOP gained 54 seats in the House, eight in the Senate.
Shelby would go on to serve as chairman of some of the Senate’s most influential committees – Appropriations and Banking. He also chaired the Senate Rules and Intelligence committees. The four committee chairmanships placed Shelby in rare territory. Few senators in U.S. history have gone on to chair five standing or select committees, which would be one more than Shelby’s four.
Shelby’s tenure in the Senate is the longest of any politician in Alabama history. In 2019, he surpassed the previous record of 32 years, 58 days set by John Sparkman from 1946-1979.
Shelby’s longevity goes beyond his time in the Senate. A Tuscaloosa lawyer, Shelby was first elected to public legislative office 51 years ago, when he won a seat in the Alabama State Senate at the age of 35. His tenure in Congress began 44 years ago in 1979, when he won the open Alabama Congressional District 7 seat after defeating then-State Rep. Chris McNair.
Shelby recently sat down with AL.com for a lengthy interview to reflect on his career in Congress and in politics, and to discuss some of the current issues and challenges facing the Republican Party and his successor, Senator-elect Katie Britt.
How should Alabamians remember Richard Shelby?
I think that is up for the people to decide. You’re evaluated on what you’ve done and haven’t done. We don’t evaluate ourselves in politics. Some of the history books may evaluate you. I think it’s up to the people.
What are your plans in retirement? Will it involve travel? Writing a memoir?
I’m planning to go home to Tuscaloosa. My wife is retired. (During) COVID, I spent a lot of time at home initially and kind of acclimated myself more and more to that and kind of enjoyed it. Nearly 44 years up here is a long time. People have said, ‘Why don’t you run again?’ I said that I wanted to walk out while I was being responsible and knowing I was being responsible for the people. I said that some people spend too long in certain jobs, and I did not want to do that. I am glad I had the opportunity. Six terms in the Senate, a great honor. Four terms in the House. Two terms in the State Senate.
It’s something I never could’ve dreamed of or hoped for. It’s time to go home. I said several times there is a season in our lives, and that comes out of scripture as you know. But that comes for all of us. We’re young, kind of youthful. We are still relatively young and then middle age and mature. And then we’re real mature and, perhaps, we’re gone. So, I look forward to coming home. I will miss my staff. I’ve relied on them a long time. I’ll miss people helping me. I will help myself, I hope.
The University of Alabama will likely play a role in your retirement. Your congressional papers and other items will be donated to the university. What are the plans for that?
I had a lot of schools that wanted my papers for various reasons, I think, because of the committees I served on over the years. The university wanted the papers. Of course, that is where I went to school. I owe them a lot. So, I haven’t officially done this, but I am in the process of leaving my papers to the University of Alabama. They will manage them and do what they want to.
What are their plans for displaying the papers? There are some talks about creating an institute.
I think they are talking about it. What they’ve done … that will come later if it ever comes.
(Note: The University of Alabama, last year, confirmed it was considering the creation of a new institute and new scholarly research programs to engage with prominent politicians and policy professionals, pending approval of the UA System Board of Trustees. According to a school spokeswoman, there were no new updates on those developments).
What is your proudest accomplishment as a Senator?
I don’t know. That’s still up for the history books. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say to you and the people that it’s been a great privilege and a great honor to serve in the U.S. Senate and serve in the U.S. House and serve in the state Senate over the years. One would have to feel good about it and be grateful for that. What is that? It’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to serve and to try to make the place better, make America stronger and to make more opportunities for everybody and opportunities for no matter who you are and where you come from. We need to educate, to the best of our ability, everybody and give them opportunity. It makes us a stronger state, and a stronger nation if we do this and we benefit from it.
A lot of stuff I’ve been involved in was to try to create institutions, especially in higher education. Things evolve. The clock moves forward always. But I thought some of my opportunities were to help the state of Alabama, was in education. Education is the key to all of it. It’s the key to opportunity, the key to business success and the key to economic growth. An educated workforce. Scientists, engineers, businesspeople and people with ideas and resolve.
So, I put a lot of effort in funding our science and engineer schools starting with our universities. University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, an engineering school. The University of Alabama Birmingham and biomedical. The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Why was that my interest? Because that brings in the top teachers. The top teachers make good students and attracts good students. Good students have ideas and create a better economic base and opportunity for our state. It will pay off. It’s already paying off. It will pay off in years to come.
You have to fight for these dollars. A lot of states have gotten this money for years and years and have done a lot with it. I thought that would be one of our best things. We’ve been able to get hundreds of millions of dollars, over time, for science and engineering structure all over our state. It’s not just Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal, though there is a lot of it there. But all our schools. That would be some of the things that as I look back, that I am pleased that I was in the vanguard.
There is a lot of worry by public officials over the loss of federal money with your retirement and the loss of clout from your service on Appropriations. What will Alabama lose when you retire?
I don’t know that. The investments, that is what I call it, the state has put up some of this money, too, in infrastructure and education and so forth will pay off for years to come. It’s not just giving them a one-time deal, giving them a handout. This is an investment.
What happens after I’m gone? It takes a while to build seniority and power base here. I’ve been fortunate in that way. You have a young senator coming up in Katie Britt who is loaded with potential and knows what is going on. She worked right here in this same office. I think she will be very adept at the needs of Alabama. I also think Senator Tuberville, he’s been working with me over the last two years. This is a new arena to him. He was a teacher, coach and all of this. I think he’s working the state hard and has a great staff. I think Alabama will be fine.
What is the greatest challenge for Katie Britt?
I think she is loaded with talent. She’s natural. She’s smart. She’s knowledgeable. She’s worked as my press secretary as a young lady and chief of staff. She’s just 40 years old. I call that young now today. She has a lot to offer. She won a big race in Alabama. The primary, it was the real race. She dispatched a couple of strong candidates. I think her future is very bright.
Is she headed to Appropriations?
I would hope she would. But that’s up to Katie and me to talk with her about it and the leadership. It would help. You ask about what will happen (with my retirement)? It is not about money. It’s about priorities. I would never ask for money up here to just give away. You need a project that is meaningful for people of the state, if not the country. I think Katie would probably feel the same way.
People in the Senate seem to get more attention on the votes for social issues, and not as much anymore as it used to be when it came to embracing earmarks and bringing money back to their home states. What is the role of a senator for the state they represent?
First of all, I am a Senator from Alabama. One of two. But at the same time, I’m a United States senator for the whole nation. We have to keep in mind, we are not the probate judge of ‘X’ county, we’re not the mayor for a small town or a large town but we are a United States Senator. The first thing is to put the country first. Put the nation first. To me, that is national security. And then do what you can to make us competitive economically. If those things work out, then the individual merit (of the senator) rose to the top.
Senators take crucial votes during their careers and perhaps some of their most critical votes involve a decision to engage in military action. Looking back, what were your thoughts about votes to support military action?
We live in a tough world; you have to remind yourself on this. We’ve had a lot of wars, the Korean War and the Middle East. But we have not had a World War since 1945, when the Second World War ended. I think a lot of that is because America has been strong, not just our economy but our military. If we didn’t invest in our allies and our strength of our allies, we’d have real trouble.
During the Cold War, it was the USSR. We won that. We won it because of ideas. Freedom. Secondly, free markets. Our economy outperformed everything. China, on the other hand, is our greatest competitor and probably our greatest opportunity now. And also (they are) very interested in world hegemony, both economic and military. That’s our greatest challenge. If you think about things up here (that) I do, that’s part of my goal in the Senate as an appropriator. I’ve been chairman on the Defense. I’m the top Republican on the Defense Appropriation. It funds everything, from nuclear to aircraft to submarine to the boots on the ground. If you name it or don’t name it. I’ve been on all these national security issues for a long time. It’s incumbent for ourselves in the Senate to first make America secure and to have nobody stronger militarily to threaten us. We have to meet that. That’s No. 1. If we do that, then we do what we can to make markets work and have a safety net for people who need help because there are some people who need help. But that’s my basic philosophy.
Now one thing I have to add, is I’ve had the opportunity to chair four committees up here which I’m grateful for. The Senate Committee on Intelligence, over the CIA and FBI and all agencies. Chairman of the Banking Committee, three or four times. I am the longest serving member and chairman of the Banking Committee. That’s economics. The Rules Committee establishes the rules of the Senate. The Appropriations Committee when Republicans are in control. I’m blessed with that opportunity.
It’s not just what happens in Tuscaloosa County or Conecuh County or Baldwin County. It’s the world. The caucus, I am part of it big time. I have to work with the caucus. They expect me to carry the load for Republicans in defense matters. That’s an awesome responsibility, but a great opportunity, too, to do the right thing for America.
Do you have any regrets about decisions to send troops to Iraq, and the vote to authorize the Iraq War?
I voted for that. If we had information now that Saddam didn’t have nuclear weapons, we might not have invaded Iraq because it created other kinds of chaos. But I think the Congress and the President acted on the information they had, the data they had. They probably got rid of a despot. But at the same time, created other problems. Look at the Middle East today.
I have no regrets. I think you have to act on the information. People have to respect you as a nation. I think although we are a powerful nation, I think overall we’ve been real careful on where we meddle and where we get into shooting conflicts.
What will you miss the most in Washington, D.C.?
I’ve always looked at Washington, D.C., as a federal city, not a state. It’s the nation’s Capital. If you come from Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, Maine, Oregon or California or New York, you feel that this is our country. I have as much right to be here as someone from Illinois or Missouri. I look at it that way. My home is in Alabama.
What do you miss about Alabama when you are out here?
I miss people. When you were up here, you miss your dog at first. I miss my house and my bed. I missed walking around the house barefooted and in the yard like everybody. But I’ve been getting more of that (with more time at home during the pandemic).
What is the future of the Republican Party in the wake of a midterm disappointment?
We went into a (recent) luncheon and did a postmortem (with people) blaming each other and blaming other people too. But never blaming themselves. It’s human nature. (The House flipping to Republicans) is a partial success from all indications. I never thought we had a sterling chance to take over the Senate. We had two-thirds of the seats up to defend. We had some candidates that I wished we had others in different states. You read about it and see about it. I think the quality of the candidate matters. I think the intensity of the campaign matters. I think sometimes the Republicans may have overestimated themselves in the races and underestimated the Democrats. The Democrats always have a good ground game. But as it stands now it’s a 50/49. We have the Georgia seat up. It’s a real close race in the primary. We could wind up with a 51 /49 Democrats with a majority or wind up like where we are with a 50/50 tie. No one is really prevailing at the moment. I would say overall it’s kind of a stalemate.
Heading back to Alabama, we just got done with state elections, but we had horrible turnout in Alabama. What will it take to improve the turnout?
I think part of that is people saw there wasn’t much of a race. It used to be when I was growing up, I didn’t know a Republican. We didn’t have a Republican in the state, and none in the Legislature. One in the House when I was in the State Senate 50 years ago. So now it’s a one-party state based on statewide races. If things are competitive, people will vote for both sides. I guess there is always apathy that sets in.
(NOTE: Following the 2020 presidential election, former President Donald Trump complained about a “stolen” election that animated fierce talks about election security for the past two years. Back in 1986, then-Republican Senator Jeremiah Denton cited “illegal” voting that led to his loss to Shelby in a closely contested Senate race. It was Shelby’s first time running for the Senate. He never lost an election.)
Were there any similarities between the two?
No. I knew Senator Denton well. When they counted the votes, he called me and conceded the race. The question was, and it was in the media, they said there were a lot of military votes out. A lot of them went to me, a lot went to him. There weren’t that many. There were some. It’s not up to me to call that. We waited it out. We figured we would win. We were up 7,000 votes or something like that. It’s not a lot, but it’s a lot when it’s 400-500 (votes still to be counted). That lasted for 2-1/2 weeks. He conceded. I don’t think he envisioned doing anything (wrong). He’s Naval Academy, Admiral, Georgetown graduate, McGill. He was a principled man. I respected him. As a matter of fact, he used to call me a lot after the election. He introduced me to a Republican meeting one night, and I thought ‘wow.’ I went to his funeral. His family invited me to his funeral. I have a lot of respect for him as a solider. He was a great solider.
That was the closest election you had?
Yes. I’ve been fortunate - 12 times (running for office and never losing). It’s best I didn’t get on the ballot for the 13th time. Thirteen is not a good number.
You made the transition in 1994. What made you decide to flip political parties?
They started in 1981, (attempting to lure) me. They were trying for me to change parties when I’m still in the House. It went on and on, Reagan and the whole party (trying to convince me to change parties). The Democratic Party in the South was starting to go through a realignment. I told them I would try and make the Democratic Party more responsible, more conservative. I remember Reagan telling me he was wishing me a lot of luck, because he had been a Democrat his whole life until they raised taxes 90 percent and then he left. So, I was in the vanguard of the realignment in the state of the Republican Party.
Why did you stay on for so long and not make the change during the Reagan era?
Timing is everything. I thought about it. Then you don’t want to change sometimes. It’s like moving out of your house where you grew up. The party was different. Growing up, it was the only party in the state. You always had the more liberal wing and the more conservative wing of the party. You had the same groups, but all under the umbrella of the Democratic Party. There was no Republican Party. A lot of the younger people (today) have always been Republicans. But 20-25 years ago, most of them were members of the Democratic executive committee. I am one of the last ones of the old guard, the Southern Democrats.
I think one thing about party changing. I’ve always been more market orientated and supply and demand economics. I think of Senator (Howell) Heflin, who was a good friend of mine. He came out of the New Deal, older and a Roosevelt type of politics. The (Tennessee Valley Authority) was created. I remember we used to talk about that. I used to tell them we will sell TVA and privatize it and I think I gave him heartburn doing that. But I believe the market is the strongest and has lifted billions of people out of poverty. But the market is not always nice to you. It’s cruel at times.
You were a strong union supporter during your time in the Alabama Legislature.
Unions used to be real strong in the state. Birmingham had about 50,000 workers. That was part of the political (part of the) Democratic Party. I believe people should be treated right. Overall, though, I think market forces overturn most of it.
Reflecting on the 2017 special U.S. Senate election, you played a pivotal role in that. Who did you vote for? (At the time, Shelby said he would write in the vote for a distinguished Alabama Republican).
I wrote in a name of a distinguished Republican. I never said (who). I won’t say it today. It was a distinguished Republican and someone who I have a lot of respect for. So, I knew I would not vote for Doug Jones, although I like Doug Jones. He’s a friend and I’ve known him a long time and I worked with him up here. I think rightfully so that Roy Moore was just too much. He would not have been good for the Republican Party up here, and he would not have been good for Alabama in the long run. So, I did what I did. I think it made a difference.
Did you flirt with the idea of running for governor?
I think it was 1993, the Mason-Dixon (Political Media Research) people were trying to get me to run for governor as a Democrat or a Republican. I thought about it. I was in the U.S. Senate, and I thought I could do the best for the state up here. If I’d been in the state Senate, I might have done it. I had a lot people trying to get me to do it. A lot of people, powerful people.
How do others on Capitol Hill view Alabama? When you say I’m the senator of Alabama. What is their impression of Alabama?
I think it has changed. Back in the 60s, when the Civil Rights movement was at its zenith, and Alabama was in the news with George Wallace and the Selma march and Bull Connor, it was probably in a negative way. It was a national and international story. I think Alabama has come a long way. We got a long way to go to be open for business. I think Kay Ivey has let people know, and Bob Riley when he was governor, that Alabama is open for business. You see a lot of companies not just in the U.S. but all over the world that they are coming to Alabama to do business. Look at the low unemployment. Even in the Black Belt it’s gone down, though it’s deeply challenged. Huntsville was voted one of the most desirable cities in the U.S. to live. A lot of engineers and scientists, from all over the country, are moving from everywhere to Huntsville. I think that is a good thing. It’s a good sign.
What is the biggest opportunity for Alabama?
I think Alabama, physically, as a state, is a beautiful state. We have good roads basically good highways and infrastructure. We are putting together better schools. I think the educational level overall has come up which is good. It helps people in unemployment if you give them hope and show them the way.
What are you doing during your final days in the Senate?
You can see I’m taking things down and packing it up (chuckling) meaning (my staff) is doing most of the work. I have a lot on my plate because of the omnibus, the funding of the government. I’m quite involved in it. I’ll be tied up until Christmas hoping we fund the government. Alabama has a lot at stake in those bills. It’s 12 appropriation bills put together, and $1.7 trillion. We hope we fund the government. That’s my goal. That’s (Senate Minority Leader Mitch) McConnell’s goal. That’s (Senate Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer’s goal, and (Democratic) Senator (Patrick) Leahy’s goal. He’s a tough Democrat.
If we do that by Christmas, I’ll go home and enjoy Christmas. I might not have an eggnog, but I’ll have scrambled eggs.
Coming Monday: What others are saying as Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama following a 51-year career in elected political office.
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