[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5525-S5529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I am here today to pay respects to Senator 
Byrd, whose desk is now adorned with a black cloth and flowers. I know 
we will all long remember Monday as the day we received some very sad 
news, for on that day, as the morning began, we each learned in our own 
way that our good friend and colleague Robert Byrd had passed away just 
a few hours earlier. It should not have been a sudden shock. We all had 
time to prepare for this moment. We knew he had been having a period of 
ill health, but it still seemed as if he would be here forever. That is 
the kind of man Robert Byrd was.
  A man of great gifts, he loved the written word and could recite his 
favorite poems from memory--at length. It was amazing how many 
speeches, reflections, and famous quotations were there at his command, 
in his quiver, ever ready and waiting for him to recite so he could 
emphasize an important point about an issue that needed to be made. 
That is the kind of man Robert Byrd was.
  While it is true he was the longest serving Member of Congress in 
history, he was so much more than that. He was the historian of the 
Senate who knew more about our roots as a legislative body than anyone 
else. He was a master legislative craftsman, and whenever he spoke, we 
all listened carefully to see what he had to say about the matter we 
had taken up for deliberation. That is the kind of man Robert Byrd was.
  No one had more respect and regard for the Senate and our legislative 
traditions and procedures than he did. He knew the rules, he knew why 
they were crafted that way, and he knew how to make good use of them to 
further the agenda he believed to be in the best interests of the 
people of our Nation. Once again, that is the kind of man Robert Byrd 
was. That is why it is so difficult to sum up his life in just a few 
well-chosen words.
  There is no greater tribute we can pay to Robert Byrd than for the 
spirit of friendship and camaraderie, which were staples of his Senate 
service, to bring us all to the Senate floor to express our regrets and 
send our condolences to his family. It will also give us a chance to 
share our memories of someone we will never forget.
  I will always remember the orientation he organized for the incoming 
class of new Senators each session for as long as he was able. Besides 
a strong historical welcome, he presented each of us with one volume of 
his four-volume history of the Senate. If we read it and were able to 
answer questions about it, then--and only then--would

[[Page S5526]]

we get the other three volumes. I remember asking him how he wrote 
them. He said he presented all of it as a series of floor speeches 
delivered without any notes, with most corrections made simply to clear 
up what the floor reporters thought they heard. He had a photographic 
memory, and that made it all possible. Perhaps it came from his years 
of study of the violin. In any event, it made him a better speaker 
because he spoke slowly and deliberately, carefully editing his 
sentences as he spoke. His style created a natural bond between himself 
and the listener, and that is what made him such a styled and gifted 
communicator.
  It may be a cliche, but he was a southern gentleman through and 
through. He had no tolerance for any rude or impolite conduct on the 
floor. He instructed and expected all of us to be courteous and 
respectful--not because of politics but because of the great 
institution of which we are a part. He knew what a great honor and a 
privilege it is to serve in the Senate, and he expected everyone else 
to realize it as well and to act accordingly.
  When you presided over the Senate, he expected you to pay attention 
to each speaker. Sometimes, the Presiding Officer is the only one in 
the Chamber. There was a time when there was a telephone under the 
Presiding Officer's desk. As the story goes, Senator Byrd was speaking 
when the phone under the desk rang. When the Presiding Officer answered 
it, Senator Byrd made sure to make him aware of the importance of 
courtesy in such a situation. The Presiding Officer then said: 
``Senator Byrd, the phone is for you.'' That is when the phone was 
taken out and a rule went into effect that no electronic devices were 
to be used on the Senate floor.
  Then there were his special speeches. He always commemorated each 
holiday the evening before a recess would begin. Each speech was very 
poetic and, in fact, usually had some poem he had memorized years 
before that would come to mind and be recited from memory. He was good 
at it, so good that we looked forward to his poetic observations on the 
passing of time.
  That unique speaking style of his also helped him to build a good 
relationship with our pages. His ``going away'' speech for each 
graduating class often left many of them in tears. Their fondness for 
him only grew when they learned that if the Senate was in session after 
10 p.m., they had no early morning classes the next day. They were 
always delighted, therefore, when the hour grew late and Senator Byrd 
rose to speak. They knew he could easily add the 10 or 15 or even 30 
minutes needed to get them past 10 o'clock and a welcome reprieve from 
the early morning classes.
  My favorite speech Senator Byrd gave happened when I was presiding. 
Over the previous weekend, he had visited some of his grandkids and 
asked about their studies. He was a firm believer in education and was 
an example of lifelong learning himself. One of his grandkids had 
shared a math experience with him. He was so surprised, he asked to see 
the math book. He brought the book to the floor to read parts of it to 
us. He was distressed at how math had migrated into a social textbook. 
He pointed out that you had to get to page 187 to find anything that 
resembled the math he had learned. The parts prior to that were social 
discourse. Anyone who heard the speech would remember his indignation.
  I remember being at an interparliamentary trip held in West Virginia 
hosting the British Parliament. We went to a mountain retreat for 
dinner. Senator Byrd welcomed them and then got out his violin and 
shared some fiddle music he thought was appropriate for the occasion. 
He was very good.
  Senator Byrd was an expert on the rules of the Senate. At our 
orientation, he encouraged us to learn the rules. Because of his 
encouragement and as a way to learn the rules, I volunteered often to 
chair the Senate floor. Following his instructions, I brought a list of 
questions with me since during the quorum calls you can ask questions 
of the captive-audience Parliamentarian.
  I once saw a Senator come to the floor to debate an amendment, and 
Senator Byrd was there to debate against it. The Senator wanted to 
revise his amendment. For half an hour, the Senator tried different 
tactics to change his amendment, and Senator Byrd thwarted every 
attempt. The Senator was frustrated. He asked for a quorum call, and he 
left the floor.
  At that point, I asked the Parliamentarian if there was any way the 
Senator could have changed his amendment. The Parliamentarian explained 
that all he had to do was declare his right to revise his amendment. I 
asked why the Parliamentarian did not tell him that. What I learned is 
the Parliamentarian can only give advice when asked. My first stop at 
the Senate floor often is at the Parliamentarian as a result.
  During much of Senator Byrd's career, he was either the chairman of 
the Appropriations Committee or the ranking member. He was very good 
about taking care of orphan miners. Those are primarily coal miners 
whose companies have gone out of business owing benefits. After a 
couple of lessons from the Senator, I worked with him to take care of 
the orphan miner health problem in a bill that speeded up mine 
reclamation in many States, extended an expiring tax on coal companies 
with their guarded permission, and then released impounded trust fund 
money promised by law to the States for the impacts the States put up 
to produce the Nation's energy, as well as take care of the orphan 
miners.
  At another time, Senator Isakson and I worked with Senators Byrd, 
Rockefeller, and Kennedy to make the first changes in mine safety law 
in 28 years. He was very proud of the difference he was able to make in 
the lives of coal miners back home, and he never forgot them whenever 
we were debating an issue that might have an impact on their lives.
  In the days and weeks to come, I can think of no greater compliment 
we could pay another Senator or greater tribute we can pay to Senator 
Byrd than to watch someone in action on the Senate floor who develops 
and implements a well-drawn strategy and say: That is the way Robert 
Byrd would have done it.
  For my part, I will always remember the great love Senator Byrd had 
for our Constitution. I do not think anyone knew it better or more 
detailed than he did. When I was mayor of Gillette, I began a habit of 
carrying around a copy of the Constitution with me. I discovered that a 
lot of us knew what it said but not too many of us had a grasp for the 
details. It had a lot of meaning for me right from the start because it 
represents the blueprint from which our Nation and system of government 
were constructed. Then when I came to the Senate, I came to know the 
Constitution in a completely different way. It was now my job 
description, as Senator Byrd put it. So I always kept it handy.
  I have no doubt that Senator Byrd had a similar reaction years before 
my own. I am sure he knew the better he understood our Constitution and 
the procedures of the Senate, the more effective he would be as a 
Senator. He knew the importance of understanding the rules of our 
legislative process in every detail. The better he became at mastering 
the process by which our laws were made, the better he knew he would be 
at producing the outcome he was committed to achieving for the people 
of West Virginia and the Nation. I am sure that is why he always 
carried a copy with him.
  The line-item veto was passed before I got to the Senate, but Senator 
Byrd had sued to have it stricken. Most of his Senate career had been 
as chairman of the Appropriations Committee or the ranking member. He 
pointed out that Congress, according to the Constitution, is supposed 
to make spending decisions, not the President. He always pointed out 
that we do not work for the President of the United States; we work 
with the President as a separate but equal branch of government. He 
would guard us against infringement by the President using the third 
branch of government, and he was successful.
  Although his life was marked by many triumphs, he was not without his 
personal tragedies. I have always believed that the work we do begins 
at home, and that is why I will never forget the strength of his 
marriage and what a tremendous loss it was for him when his wife passed 
away. No one knew Robert Byrd better than she did, and without her by 
his side life became ever more difficult. His health began to fail.

[[Page S5527]]

  I remember going to his wife's funeral. It was very well done. When 
my wife and I were on our way home, we commented that the endearing and 
astounding thing about the funeral was that it was about her. He made 
sure her achievements, her family, her efforts and successes were the 
focus. As famous as Senator Byrd was, the comments that were made that 
day were about her and not about him. That says a lot about the 
relationship they had.
  Although his health was declining, he was here as often as he was 
able, an active part of the day-to-day workings of the Senate. He would 
not and could not take it easy, no matter what anyone told him. His 
heart was in the Senate; his soul was in West Virginia. To stop what he 
loved to do was for him and the people back home unthinkable.
  One of Senator Byrd's favorite quotations comes to mind today. He 
loved the Bible and quoted from it often. When going through a 
difficult time in his life, he remembered the words from the Book of 
Ecclesiastes:

       To everything there is a season and a time for every 
     purpose under heaven.

  Now Senator Byrd has come to another time, as he has reached the end 
of his seasons on God's green Earth. He will be greatly missed, and he 
will never be forgotten.
  I cannot conclude my remarks without paying a final tribute to 
Senator Byrd by recalling his love of poetry and the written word. We 
can all remember the way he would enjoy sharing a favorite verse with 
us, much like this one. Although the author is unknown, I am certain 
Senator Byrd would not only recall it but know it well:

     Life is but a stopping place,
     A pause in what's to be,
     A resting place along the road,
     To sweet eternity.

     We all have different journeys,
     Different paths along the way,
     We all were meant to learn some things,
     But never meant to stay.

     Our destination is a place,
     Far greater than we know.
     For some the journey's quicker,
     For some the journey's slow.

     And when the journey finally ends,
     We'll claim a great reward,
     And find an everlasting peace,
     Together with the Lord.

  My wife Diana joins in sending our heartfelt sympathy to his family 
and many friends and for all the people who worked for him and with him 
over the years. We will miss him--the knowledge he had, the 
institutional memory he had, the experiences and history he had been a 
part of and in many instances was the main participant--the leader. 
Probably only once in the history of a country does someone like this 
come along. If he were here, he would deny it but be pleased if we 
noted the similarity of what he had done to what had been done in the 
ancient Roman Senate about which he often talked.
  In the end for Senator Byrd it was never about how much time he spent 
in the Senate or on Earth but how well he used the time he was given.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to talk about the loss of our 
senior colleague, Senator Robert C. Byrd. Senator Byrd, I had the 
privilege and honor of serving with for over 24 years in the Senate. I 
believe this body has lost a giant.
  For more than five decades, Robert C. Byrd served his country, fought 
to protect the institution of the Senate, and worked tirelessly for the 
people of West Virginia. The people of West Virginia were never very 
far from the mind of Robert C. Byrd. I know because I worked with him 
every day for 24 years. Senator Byrd and his passing leave a tremendous 
void for this body and for the Nation. He will be greatly missed.
  Senator Byrd was a great man, an exceptional person, somebody who had 
lost his parents and, through sheer will, made himself into a great 
man. He was a legend in the Senate, the longest serving Senator in the 
history of the United States and the longest serving lawmaker in 
congressional history. The people of West Virginia elected him to the 
Senate an amazing nine times and three times before that to the House 
of Representatives. He served in almost every leadership post in the 
Senate, including twice as majority leader and for almost two decades 
as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He took an incredible 
18,500 votes, a record which will never be broken. At least that is my 
forecast. I do not know how anybody will ever break a record of 18,500 
votes.

  Senator Byrd may be remembered most as the protector of the 
institution of the Senate. This is an institution he loved. More than 
that, this is an institution he revered as part of the constitutional 
structure of this country. He believed it had a special place in 
defending the Constitution of the United States. He believed it played 
a special role in preventing unwise legislation from becoming law, and 
he believed it deeply.
  He knew more about Senate history and Senate rules and procedures 
than any other Member, and he used that knowledge skillfully to defend 
this institution and to ensure it continued to function in a manner 
consistent with what the Founding Fathers intended. Senator Byrd did 
not come to those beliefs lightly. He came to those beliefs after the 
most thorough and very rigorous study of our history. He was a master 
orator. How many of us can remember Senator Byrd coming to this floor 
and having Members come to the floor to listen to him because very 
often his speeches were a history lesson--and not just drawn from 
American history but from world history, going back to the Roman 
Empire? When he was in really high excitation, he loved to go through 
the various Roman emperors and what brought them down, what led to the 
decline of the Roman Empire, and what lessons we could draw from that.
  His speeches were riddled with quotes from great leaders, references 
to American history and law, and descriptions of that ancient Roman 
Senate--much of it from memory. How many times did I hear Senator Byrd 
stand in that spot or in the leader's spot and recite from memory a 
lengthy poem or a speech from history? What a remarkable, remarkable 
man. The extent and the breadth of his knowledge was truly amazing.
  Senator Byrd was also an expert on budget matters. In fact, he was 
one of the principal authors of the 1974 Budget Act which established 
the congressional budget process. He created and vigorously defended 
the Byrd rule, which bears his name--a budget rule designed to stop the 
abuse of the fast-track reconciliation process.
  Let me just remind my colleagues of something Senator Byrd did during 
the Clinton administration when the administration had a health care 
proposal that was bogged down. It could not pass because it would 
require 60 votes in the Senate, and there were not 60 votes to be had. 
The administration wanted to use the reconciliation process, the fast-
track process that allows legislation to be passed with only a simple 
majority. Senator Byrd said no, under no circumstances would he permit 
that to happen because he believed that was a violation of the whole 
basis of the reconciliation process which he had been involved in and 
which he had helped design and which was put in law solely for deficit 
reduction, in his view. He believed any other use was an abuse of the 
process--the process of reconciliation. So he said no to the President 
of his own party on that President's No. 1 domestic priority.
  There is a lesson in that for all of us. When we were in the midst of 
the consideration of using the reconciliation process for that purpose 
during the Clinton administration years, Senator Byrd told me, as a 
member of the Budget Committee: Senator, always remember partisanship 
can go too far. Our obligation, our first obligation, is to the Nation 
and to this institution. If that means we have to disagree with the 
President of our own party, so be it.
  I hope colleagues learn from that lesson as well. Partisanship can go 
too far.
  As the Budget Committee chairman, I had the privilege and honor of 
working particularly close with Senator Byrd after he joined the 
committee in 2001. The original idea of the Budget Committee was that 
the chairman of the Finance Committee would serve there, the chairman 
of the Appropriations Committee would serve there, and the chairmen of 
other relevant major committees would serve there so that the Budget 
Committee would put together the priorities of the United States. 
Senator Byrd had an acute understanding of that history.

[[Page S5528]]

  But also Senator Byrd never forgot who sent him to Washington. He 
tenaciously fought for West Virginia throughout his career and ensured 
his small, rural State had a powerful voice in the Halls of the 
Capitol. He never forgot where he came from. I remember well his 
exchange at a Budget Committee hearing in 2002 with then-Treasury 
Secretary Paul O'Neill, and Senator Byrd proudly and emotionally 
described his own humble upbringing because Senator Byrd came from very 
straightened circumstances. He came from a very modest background. He 
was an orphan. In fact, he carried a name which was not his birth name. 
His birth name was a different name than Robert C. Byrd. But when 
relatives took him in, they gave him their family name.
  Robert C. Byrd remembered those earliest days. He remembered what it 
was to struggle. He remembered what it was to have very little. He 
remembered what it was to wonder where your next meal was coming from 
and whether you were going to have a roof over your head. Senator Byrd 
remembered, and he was faithful to those memories.
  Senator Byrd loved his wife Erma. He loved his daughters Mona and 
Marjorie and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
  I want to say to the members of the family, Senator Byrd was 
intensely proud of you. I hope the children and grandchildren will get 
that message, that Senator Byrd was intensely proud of each and every 
one of you. He spoke about you often and in loving terms, and you 
should know that.
  Of course, we all know he loved his little dog Billy, and he loved 
his dog Trouble. In fact, I think he had multiple dogs named Trouble.
  Senator Byrd loved West Virginia, he loved this institution, and he 
loved our country. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Byrd. 
His immense knowledge and his spirit will be missed. His values will be 
missed. But I am comforted in knowing that our friend Robert is now 
reunited with his beloved wife Erma. I know his legacy will live on in 
this body and this Nation forever.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona is recognized.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, during a recordbreaking six decades of public 
service, Senator Byrd served this Nation with diligence and spirit. As 
a legislator, Senator Byrd had many notable qualities, particularly his 
legendary oratory skills and his masterful knowledge of Senate 
procedure. Having authored a four-volume history of this Chamber, he 
understood its nuances and intricacies, and he was an articulate 
spokesman for protecting procedural rules.
  Senator Byrd kept a copy of the Constitution in his pocket, and he 
could recite it from memory. He was always first to remind us that the 
Framers intended the Senate to be different from the House of 
Representatives and to stand as a bastion of individual and minority 
rights. He celebrated these distinctions serving as they do the 
fundamental principle of checks and balances within the legislative 
branch.
  At a recent Rules Committee hearing, Senator Byrd said:

       The Senate is the only place in government where the rights 
     of a numerical minority are so protected. The Senate is a 
     forum of the States, where regardless of size or population, 
     all States have an equal voice. . . . Without the protection 
     of unlimited debate, small States like West Virginia might be 
     trampled. Extended deliberation and debate--when employed 
     judiciously--protect every Senator, and the interests of 
     their constituency, and are essential to the protection of 
     the liberties of a free people.

  Senator Byrd's insights, expertise, and constitutional scholarship 
will truly be missed. They are a great part of his legacy, one that I 
hope will be honored for generations.
  On a personal note, I will mention that while Senator Byrd and I did 
not share a perspective on many matters of public policy, we had a 
common appreciation for bluegrass music. I always enjoyed talking with 
him about that subject. He was a talented fiddler, playing on stage, on 
television, and while campaigning for office. He even recorded an album 
entitled ``Mountain Fiddler.'' He gave me a copy, and I was very 
impressed with his skill.
  Robert Byrd's knowledge, his hard work, his high spirit, and 
dedication to the people of West Virginia will always be remembered. My 
wife Caryll and I extend our thoughts and prayers to his family.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I, too, wish to say some words on the 
passing of our good friend and former leader, Robert C. Byrd.
  It is difficult to sum up in words the thoughts and feelings one has 
for a departed friend whom one has known so long. I had the pleasure of 
serving with Senator Byrd my entire career in the Senate. I knew, I 
liked, and I respected Robert C. Byrd for more than 30 years.
  It is doubly difficult to put into words thoughts that adequately 
reflect such a presence in the Senate. Robert C. Byrd was a singular 
Senator. He was a Senator's Senator. There was no title he prized more 
than that of ``Senator.''
  When I came to the Senate, Robert C. Byrd had succeeded my mentor, 
Mike Mansfield, as majority leader. As Robert Byrd was fond of noting, 
he served as majority leader and then minority leader and then back as 
majority leader. He saw the leadership of the Senate from both sides, 
and his experience seasoned his leadership.
  As proud as he was to earn the title of ``Senator,'' he was even more 
proud that as a Senator he represented the people of his State. I 
deeply believe that is one of the finest things one can say about a 
fellow Senator. For more than 50 years, he was a strong voice for the 
people of West Virginia.
  Robert Byrd was a strong voice for democracy. He knew the rules of 
the Senate better than any person alive. He fought to preserve the 
traditions and customs of what he truly believed is the world's 
greatest deliberative body.
  As my colleagues know, Robert Byrd cast more votes than any other 
Senator in the history of our Republic. I can recall when he cast his 
18,000th vote. That vote just happened to have been on a motion to 
invoke cloture on an amendment offered by this Senator. The Senate did 
not invoke cloture that day. That is the way the Senate's rules often 
work. No matter the outcome, Senator Byrd was foremost in the defense 
of those rules. And Senator Byrd was foremost in the defense of the 
Constitution of the United States.
  Senator Byrd was a student of history more than any other Senator. 
Those of us who were here will not soon forget Senator Byrd's series of 
addresses to the Senate on the history of the Senate. And those of us 
who were here will not soon forget his series of addresses on the 
Senate of the Roman Republic. He knew that Senate too.
  Senator Byrd was a teacher. I can recall meeting with Senator Byrd on 
a highway bill. He and I both long believed passionately in the 
importance of our Nation's highways. At this one occasion, I recall 
being impatient about enacting the highway bill on which we were 
working. I can also recall the sage advice Senator Byrd gave me about 
the process, about the procedures, and about the personalities of how 
to get that bill through the Senate. As I look back on that meeting, I 
think of all the occasions Senator Byrd took the time to teach others 
of us about the Senate. He taught his fellow Senators. He taught 
visiting dignitaries from other countries.
  I might add parenthetically that it was not too many years ago when 
he was visiting Great Britain with some Senators and meeting with some 
Parliamentarians in Great Britain, and the subject of British monarchs 
came up, and it was only Senator Byrd who knew them all. He stood up, 
and he gave the name of every British monarch and the dates they 
served, up to the present. No other person in the room, including the 
members of the British Parliament, could do so. Robert C. Byrd did.
  He taught class after class of Senate pages.
  Robert Byrd will leave a legacy in the laws of the United States. He 
will leave a legacy in the rules and precedents of the Senate, and he 
will leave a living legacy in all the people who learned about the 
Senate at the knee of this great master.
  Robert Byrd was an orator. One might say he was the last of a breed. 
He spoke in a style that recalled his roots before microphones and 
amplification. He spoke memorably. He spoke like orators used to speak.
  Many of us recall celebrated speeches of Robert C. Byrd. I will read 
an extended quotation from one speech that

[[Page S5529]]

sums up Robert Byrd's strong feelings for the Constitution and the 
Senate he loved so well.
  On October 13, 1989, many of us gathered to hear Robert C. Byrd 
speak. This is what Robert C. Byrd said:

       Mr. President, I close by saying, as I began, that human 
     ingenuity can always find a way to circumvent a process. . . 
     . But I have regained my faith. We are told in the 
     Scriptures: ``Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy 
     fathers have set.''
       The Constitution is the old landmark which they have set. 
     And if we do not rise to the call of the moment and take a 
     stand, take a strong stand against our own personal interests 
     or against party interests, and stand for the Constitution, 
     then how might we face our children and grandchildren when 
     they ask of us as Caesar did to the centurion, ``How do we 
     fare today?'' And the centurion replied, ``You will be 
     victorious. As for myself, whether I live or die, tonight I 
     shall have earned the praise of Caesar.''

  And Robert C. Byrd concluded:

       As [Aaron] Burr bade goodbye to the Senate over which he 
     has presided for 4 years, this is what he said. And I close 
     with his words because I think they may well have been 
     written for a moment like this. He said: ``This House is a 
     sanctuary; a citadel of law, of order, and of liberty, and it 
     is here--it is here--in this exalted refuge--here, if 
     anywhere, will resistance be made to the storms of political 
     phrensy and the silent arts of corruption; and if the 
     Constitution be destined ever to perish by the sacrilegious 
     hands of the demagogue or the usurper, which God averts, its 
     expiring agonies will be witnessed on this floor.''

  So today, Mr. President, I will close my words for my friend, Robert 
C. Byrd, noting that in life he was victorious. As for myself, whether 
I succeed or not, whether I live or die, today I can count no greater 
praise than to say I served with Robert C. Byrd.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I think the remarks that were given by 
my colleague from Montana about Senator Byrd were certainly 
appropriate, and I know anytime we lose one of our Members who has been 
sitting with us for so long, there is a void to fill.
  What I appreciated about Senator Byrd is how much he respected the 
Senate itself and protected the rights of the Senate against anyone who 
he believed overstepped the rights of the Senate and the decorum and 
protocol of the Senate. He was truly a defender of this body. He loved 
it, and I think we all respected him for that.

                          ____________________