[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 98 (Monday, June 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5499-S5501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, my heart is heavy with sadness following 
the passing of a dear friend, Robert C. Byrd, Senator from West 
Virginia.
  We have been friends for nearly 50 years and I am overcome with 
memories. Nearly 48 years ago Senator Byrd was one of the first to 
greet me in the Chamber of the U.S. Senate.
  Since that first moment of friendship we have worked together on many 
projects. And since those early days, I have called him, ``my leader.''
  He was my mentor. Over the years he provided me countless 
opportunities and tasked me with positions of critical national 
oversight while guiding my actions with the temperance he learned as 
the longest serving Senator in history.
  He was a Senator's Senator. His many accomplishments were historic 
and he fought tirelessly to improve the lives of working families in 
West Virginia. We shared the belief that we must provide for the people 
who trust us to represent their communities in Washington.
  I owe much to my leader, Senator Byrd. He will forever have my 
gratitude and respect and I will miss him dearly. My thoughts and 
prayers are with the Byrd family during this difficult time.
  Mr. President, as America mourns, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
paying tribute to Senator Byrd.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I know several colleagues have come to the 
floor today to note the passing of a giant among us, Robert Byrd. I 
want to take a moment here to speak straight from the heart about 
Robert Byrd and my experience working with him. As we look at his desk 
with the flowers there, we of course think back to not too long ago 
when we lost another giant, Ted Kennedy. I think what distinguishes 
these two from others is their unbelievable, undying commitment to the 
people they represented and to this country.
  I think, when all is said and done, that is what it is about. It is 
not about how long you serve. Of course, in the case of both Senator 
Kennedy and Senator Byrd, it was so long. Senator Byrd made history as 
the longest serving Senator, and that should be duly noted. But it is 
well beyond that. It is about this fierce sense of ``fight for your 
people'' that they both had.
  When I came to the Senate, of course Robert C. Byrd was a legend for 
sure. He always met with the incoming Senators, to give them the rules 
of the road about procedure, about how to conduct yourself when you 
were in the chair, about the dignity of the Senate, and most of all 
about reverence for the Constitution. As many know and many saw, the 
image I will always have of Robert C. Byrd is of him reaching inside 
his suit pocket and bringing out the Constitution--which, along with 
the Bible, was what he cherished most. He taught us that everything we 
do here comes from the Founders, and he taught us to love and respect 
the Constitution and he did it in a way that was truly inspiring.
  I can tell you, coming from the largest State in the Union, we have 
our share of problems. We have floods and fires and droughts, we have 
pests in our agricultural industry, we have problem after problem--
earthquakes, need I say that? Every single time we had one of these 
disasters, Senator Feinstein and I knew we had to go to our colleagues 
and say: Please understand, California needs the help of the U.S. 
Government because the damage is so massive. Of course, we all do that 
whenever our State has a problem, because we are the United States of 
America.
  However, there are times when you do not have an ear that is 
listening. Senator Byrd, as the chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, opened his doors to us, opened his heart to us, opened his 
experience to us, and was always there for us. I so remember that, time 
after time.
  I went to see him about our water problems. We have lots of water 
problems. We have cities and suburbs that need the water. We have 
fishermen who need the water. We have agriculture that needs the water. 
All the stakeholders have very difficult debates over water. Senator 
Feinstein and I again have teamed up on this and we have always had a 
willing listener in Robert C. Byrd, who understood and helped us get 
the stakeholders to the table to find ways to preserve, to conserve, 
and increase the supply in a smart way for all those stakeholders.
  These things are very big to the people of California, who probably 
have not connected Robert Byrd to California. But in all of these cases 
where we were so in need, he was there for us.
  I remember so well his leadership in trying to bring the troops home 
from Iraq. Twenty-three of us stood up and said no to that war because 
we thought it meant taking our eye off Osama bin Laden and what was 
happening in Afghanistan and turning around and going into Iraq. We 
worried very much

[[Page S5500]]

about what would happen with our troops and that it would be a very 
long war and there was no exit strategy.
  Senator Byrd organized us and he opened his office here in the 
Capitol and said we need to talk about ways that we can bring this war 
to the end. We need to organize and we need to talk about what is 
happening to our troops. He cared so much. For me, to have been in his 
presence and to watch him work has been an amazing experience. So I 
rise to pay tribute to him.
  He has so many wonderful family members who care so much about him. 
When he lost his wife, it took a huge toll on Robert Byrd, and you saw 
it in his face. A light went out inside. His grandchildren and children 
stepped up, but that hole in his heart was there. It was evident to all 
of us. He stayed here through thick and thin, came in--wheeled in, in a 
wheelchair, fading, suffering, to be in this place that he loved so 
much, so much; that he respected so much.
  I say, and I know, there is not a Member on either side of the aisle 
who did not respect Robert C. Byrd for his brilliance, for his 
strength, for his fierce representation of his State and, by the way, 
for his extraordinary biography, coming up the way he did. Talk about 
the American dream--a child of dire poverty, close to the mines. He 
always fought for those miners. What a legacy he leaves.
  I don't have any notes in front of me. I am speaking from the heart 
today. I will have a more complete statement, but I did want to make my 
views known today and send my condolences to the family. It is a great 
loss for everyone.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise with a heavy heart to pay tribute 
to our friend and colleague who died early this morning, Senator Robert 
C. Byrd, the longest serving Member in the illustrious history of the 
U.S. Congress, the longest serving Senator, and the only Senator in 
U.S. history elected to nine full terms. Considering that Senator Byrd 
won his first election, to the West Virginia House of Delegates, in 
1946, it may be that he was the longest serving elected official in 
history. His passing is a profound loss to all Americans, to his 
beloved constituents in West Virginia, and particularly to the 
institution of the U.S. Senate and those of us who serve here. The 
Senate had no greater champion than Robert Byrd, no one with his 
understanding of the Senate's unique character, role, promise, history, 
and parliamentary procedures.
  When Robert Byrd was elected to the Senate in 1958, after serving in 
the House for 6 years, he was part of a large, distinguished class that 
included such future giants as Hugh Scott, Gene McCarthy, Edmund 
Muskie, and Philip Hart. He surpassed them all.
  According to the Senate Historical Office, Robert Byrd was the 
1,579th person to become a U.S. Senator. Since he was elected to the 
Senate, another 335 individuals have become U.S. Senators. All in all, 
Robert Byrd served with over 400 other Senators. And I am certain that 
each one of them held their colleague, as I do, in the highest esteem.
  Senator Byrd's modest beginnings in the hard-scrabble coal fields of 
Appalachia are well known. After his mother died during the 1918 flu 
pandemic, Senator Byrd went to live with an aunt and uncle who adopted 
him and raised him in a house without running water or electricity. He 
pumped gas and butchered hogs. During World War II, he was a welder and 
built cargo ships in Baltimore and Tampa Bay. After the war, he 
successfully ran for the West Virginia House of Delegates and, 4 years 
later, the State's senate, before entering Congress in 1953. All in 
all, he ran for and was elected to office 15 times--not counting 
primaries--without suffering a single defeat. Suffice it to say that 
his life is the quintessential American success story. I think every 
young American should learn about Senator Byrd's life as an example of 
what hard work and persistence and devotion can accomplish in this 
country. He understood better than most people the importance of being 
educated, not just for embarking on a successful career, but as an end 
to itself. He was well-read and could recite from memory long passages 
from the Bible, and from great poets and authors. He was a fine 
historian, not just of the Founding Fathers and the U.S. Senate, but of 
ancient Greece and Rome and England.
  Senator Byrd married his high school sweetheart, Erma Ora James, 
shortly after they both graduated from Mark Twain High School--where he 
was valedictorian--in 1937. He was too poor to afford college right 
away and wouldn't receive his degree from Marshall University until 60 
years later--when he was 77. In between, he did something no other 
Member of Congress has ever done: he enrolled in law school--at 
American University--and in 10 years of part-time study while serving 
as a Member of Congress, he completed his law degree, which President 
John Kennedy presented to him. Senator Byrd was married to his beloved 
Erma for nearly 69 years, and was blessed with two daughters, six 
grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
  During his Senate tenure, Robert Byrd was elected to more leadership 
positions than any other Senator in history, including majority and 
minority leader, whip, and President pro tempore. He cast 18,689 
rollcall votes. Only 29 other Senators in the history of the Republic 
have cast more than 10,000 votes; Strom Thurmond is the only other 
Senator to cast more than 16,000 votes. Senator Byrd's attendance 
record over five decades--97 percent--is as impressive as the sheer 
number of votes he cast.
  Senator Byrd's legislative accomplishments, from economic development 
and transportation to education and health care, are legendary. He 
steered the Panama Canal Treaty through the Senate and waged a lonely 
battle against the war in Iraq, leading an unsuccessful filibuster 
against the resolution granting President George W. Bush broad power to 
wage a preemptive war against Iraq. He claimed that his vote against 
the Iraq war resolution was the vote of which he was most proud for 
having cast over the course of his career. When U.S. military strikes 
on Iraq commenced on March 19, 2003, he stated:

       Today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of 
     recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image 
     of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The 
     image of America has changed. Around the globe, our 
     friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions 
     are questioned. Instead of reasoning with those with whom 
     we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten 
     recrimination.

  Senator Byrd was unabashedly determined to use his power as a Senator 
and as the chairman or ranking member of the Appropriations Committee 
to help lift his State out of grinding poverty. And he delivered for 
his constituents. It is no surprise, then, that he won 100 percent of 
the vote of West Virginians in one election--1976--or frequently 
carried all 55 of West Virginia's counties. And while he fervently 
supported the coal industry, he recognized the devastating 
environmental and social impact of mountaintop removal mining 
techniques and he called for an end to that practice.
  In the meantime, he wrote five books, including the definitive 
history of the U.S. Senate.
  Perhaps the highest tribute to Senator Byrd can be found in his 
biographical section of the Almanac of American Politics, which states: 
``Robert Byrd . . . may come closest to the kind of senator the 
Founding Fathers had in mind than any other.'' His fealty to the U.S. 
Senate and to the Constitution has served as an inspiration, a lesson, 
and a guiding light to all of us who have been privileged to follow him 
in this Chamber.
  In the last 10 months, we have lost two towering figures here in the 
Senate: Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd--one of the Senate's greatest 
legislators and without doubt its greatest defender. Former Senator 
Paul Sarbanes, whose seat I am privileged to hold, remarked that 
Senator Byrd liked to say that he never served under any President, but 
was honored to serve with many Presidents. We can honor these twin 
giants by carrying on their legacies, by fighting to make America a 
better place for all Americans, and by defending the Senate's role as a 
co-equal, not subservient, branch of government.
  When Senator Byrd became the longest serving Member of Congress last 
November, I quoted Robert E. Lee in my floor statement. Lee said:

       Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty 
     in all things.

[[Page S5501]]

     You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.

  Senator Robert C. Byrd has done his duty in all things--to the 
Senate, to himself, to his family, to his State, to his Nation, and to 
God.
  I am honored to join his and my colleagues here in the Senate, West 
Virginians, and all Americans in mourning the death, celebrating the 
life, and paying tribute to this great Senator and this great man.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 572) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 572

       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd served the people of 
     his beloved state of West Virginia for over 63 years, serving 
     in the West Virginia House of Delegates, the West Virginia 
     Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and the 
     United States Senate;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd is the only West 
     Virginian to have served in both Houses of the West Virginia 
     Legislature and in both Houses of the United States Congress;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd has served for fifty-
     one years in the United States Senate and is the longest 
     serving Senator in history, having been elected to nine full 
     terms;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd has cast more than 
     18,680 rollcall votes--more than any other Senator in 
     American history;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd has served in the 
     Senate leadership as President pro tempore, Majority Leader, 
     Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and Secretary of the Majority 
     Conference;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd has served on a 
     Senate committee, the Committee on Appropriations, which he 
     has chaired during five Congresses, longer than any other 
     Senator; and
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd is the first Senator 
     to have authored a comprehensive history of the United States 
     Senate;
       Whereas, the Honorable Robert C. Byrd has played an 
     essential role in the development and enactment of an 
     enormous body of national legislative initiatives and policy 
     over many decades: Whereas his death has deprived his State 
     and Nation of an outstanding lawmaker and public servant: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
     and deep regret the announcement of the death of the 
     Honorable Robert C. Byrd, Senator from the State of West 
     Virginia.
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate 
     these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
     transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it stand 
     adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
     deceased Senator.

                          ____________________