[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         THANKING SENATOR BYRD

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wish that I were able to express myself in 
a manner that is worthy of my feelings about the Senator from West 
Virginia. I can't do that, but I can do the best I can.
  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't recognize personally how 
fortunate I am to live in this country and to represent the sovereign 
State of Nevada and to be a Member of the Senate. It is a blessing that 
I have had, for whatever reasons. Whether I am worthy or not, that is 
for someone else to determine. But one of the most important aspects of 
my life has been my association, my friendship, my service with the 
Senator from West Virginia, a man who served in the Congress for more 
than 50 years, who, like clockwork, comes to the Senate floor on 
special occasions like the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving, and makes us 
all feel better for having had the opportunity to listen to a speech by 
the Senator from West Virginia.
  As I look back over the time I spent here on the Senate floor, 
listening to the Senator from West Virginia, I am drawn to a number of 
things I will never forget. I remember the speeches--and I sat with 
every one of them. I missed a couple of them, but I watched them in my 
office--the speeches on the fall of the Roman Empire that were based on 
the line-item veto. The Senator from West Virginia was indicating the 
line-item veto would be the beginning of the end of the Senate.
  The Senator delivered those speeches without a note. I didn't realize 
at the time, but the Senator knew every word he intended to say. They 
were not extemporaneous in the sense I would give an extemporaneous 
speech. He knew before he gave the speech, beforehand, every word he 
was going to deliver.
  I was so impressed with that series of speeches that I sent them to 
the head of the political science then at the University of Nevada at 
Las Vegas, Andrew Tuttle. Tuttle was so impressed--I sent him the 
speeches so he could watch them--he started a course at UNLV based on 
the lectures of Senator Byrd.
  I am not going to go on, other than to say our country is so much 
better as a result of the service granted by the people of West 
Virginia to the Senator from West Virginia. People may not always agree 
with the Senator from West Virginia, but no one can take away the fact 
he is the epitome of the Senate. And when the history books are 
written--and they will be written--there will be a place where they 
will list the great Senators of this body, and in the top two or three 
will be the Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank my dear friend, the distinguished 
Senator from Nevada, who is also the Democratic whip here in the 
Senate.
  Tennyson in Ulysses says:

       I am a part of all that I have met.

  Mr. President, I don't know how long the great God of the universe 
will spare me. But however long it may be, the distinguished Senator 
from Nevada, Mr. Reid, will always be a part of me.

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