[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16952-16953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to join Senator Reid, and all of my 
colleagues, in congratulating Senator Robert Byrd on reaching yet 
another historic milestone in his lifetime of public service.
  To have the privilege of casting even one vote in the U.S. Senate is 
an honor. To cast 18,000 votes in this Senate is a legend.
  It is a feat that has never been achieved before, and very likely 
never will be again.
  His 18,000 votes in this Senate are more than a singular statistic. 
They are yet another measure of Robert C. Byrd's lifetime of devotion 
to his state, our Nation, this institution, and to the U.S. 
Constitution.
  Senator Byrd is, of course, a great student of history--and the 
author of the definitive work on the history of the U.S. Senate. In 
fact, one could say that Robert C. Byrd is Senate history.
  Think about this: In addition to being the only Senator ever to cast 
18,000 votes, Senator Byrd is also the first U.S. Senator ever to cast 
15,000 votes.
  Senator Byrd has served with--not under, with--11 Presidents.
  He has served as majority leader and held more leadership positions 
than any Senator in history.
  To help put the length of his service in perspective, consider a few 
facts: When Senator Byrd cast his first vote in the Senate--on January 
8, 1959 his colleagues included Senators John Kennedy and Lyndon 
Johnson. Vice President Richard Nixon was the presiding officer. Hawaii 
was not yet a

[[Page 16953]]

state. And a state-of-the-art computer would have taken up half of the 
space of this Chamber and had roughly the same amount of computing 
power as a Palm Pilot.
  Today, Senator Byrd is a hero among bloggers and so many others 
because of his unyielding dedication to our Constitution and his 
obvious love of our Nation and the principles for which it stands.
  He is the unrivaled expert on Senate rules.
  He has been a candidate for election 12 times--9 times as a candidate 
for the U.S. Senate and 3 times as a candidate for the U.S. House. He 
won every time.
  And he has become perhaps the most popular political figure in West 
Virginia history. He was named West Virginian of the Century by the 
residents of his home State.
  It is an honor to serve with this giant of Senate history, and to 
share with him this milestone. Again, I commend him and congratulate 
him.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President. I stand today to honor my dear friend 
and colleague, Senator Robert C. Byrd.
  Few of us can truly hold claim to the title of living legend--but 
Robert C. Byrd can. This afternoon he cast his 18,000th vote. A 
remarkable record that reflects his years of dedicated, passionate and 
heartfelt service to the people of West Virginia and the Republic he so 
loves.
  Eighteen thousand is an impressive number. But what is more 
impressive is the change that those votes had on America. He voted to 
strengthen Social Security for all Americans. He voted to turn the 
dream of college education into a reality for all students. He voted to 
ensure that those who put in an honest day's work receive an honest 
day's wage. He voted to protect the health and safety of coal miners. 
And, he voted to ensure that those who serve in uniform would get the 
benefits they deserve. Quite frankly, his voting record, and its impact 
on the fabric of our country, is immeasurable.
  Along the way, his votes and his voice became the conscience of the 
Senate. Reminding us all that change is never easy, and that following 
the rules matters. That we can disagree with each other, even an 
administration, but we can ill afford to be disagreeable with each 
other.
  It is impossible to picture the history of the last 50 years without 
thinking of Robert C. Byrd's impact and influence on all of our lives. 
I am incredibly honored to serve every day with my dear friend and 
colleague--he is an inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________