TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – For nearly 40 years, Senator Pat Roberts has served the people of Kansas in the nation’s capitol in both the Senate and the House, but soon, that’s coming to an end.

The 84-year-old Roberts is fond of his decades of work in D.C., but he said there’s still work to be done.

“One, a COVID package that would make sense, and I hope we could get that done,” Roberts said of what’s left to do. But he’s not sure if that will happen because of the polarization in Congress.

He also said there are agriculture bills he’d like to see debated. Roberts serves as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. His work for Kansas producers in Congress might be what he’s remembered for.

“I’ve been involved in eight farms bills, I don’t think anybody’s done that, perhaps they wouldn’t want to do that, both chairman and ranking in the House and the Senate. So that’s been my primary focus, help our farmers, our ranchers, our growers,” Roberts said.

One thing he hopes to see is civility return to Washington. He said it seems likely Joe Biden will become president, and that he hopes for the best. Roberts said the Senate has changed since he began in 1997.

“This is not the Senate that I came to.”

Senator Pat Roberts

“In the long term, we have to really get back to a place where we work together and get things done,” Roberts said.

That’s how he said he was able to get so many farm bills passed, by working with anyone on the agriculture committee. He is also proud of the work he did in getting the Eisenhower Memorial in D.C., as well as bringing the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to Manhattan.

“If you stick with it, why, you can get something done,” Roberts said.

Roberts thanked his staff, friends and the many partnerships he’s formed over the years. He said they were critical to his time in Congress.

After he retires, Roberts said he might try to do consulting work.