[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12777-12778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, on Monday evening I came to the floor and 
spoke from the heart about my friend Senator Robert Byrd. I wanted to 
take the opportunity to submit a more comprehensive statement about 
Senator Byrd and his legacy.
  As I looked at his empty desk with flowers on it, I thought back to 
last summer when we lost another giant, Senator Ted Kennedy. And what 
distinguishes Senator Byrd, like Senator Kennedy, from others was his 
unbelievable, never-ending commitment to the people he represented and 
to this country.
  It was never a question of Senator Byrd's length of service--though 
his was exceptional but rather his fierce sense of fighting for West 
Virginians. As he told the New York Times in 2005, ``I'm proud I gave 
hope to my people.''
  Senator Byrd was, of course, the Nation's longest-serving Senator. 
And he was a legend, for sure. When I came to here, I learned firsthand 
that he always met with the incoming Senators, to give them an 
introduction to the rules of the road, the procedures and dignity of 
the Senate, and to share his reverence for the Constitution. The image 
that I will always have of Robert C. Byrd is him reaching inside his 
suit pocket and bringing out the Constitution, which along with the 
Bible was what he cherished most.
  Senator Byrd was a giant in the Senate and a champion for America's 
working families. We will miss his eloquence, his sharp intellect, and 
his passionate oratory.
  He was one of our Nation's foremost historians of the Senate. He 
literally wrote the book on the Senate, a four-volume history. And he 
was not only an expert on the rules of the Senate, he was a fierce 
defender of its traditions and its role in our democracy.
  Senator Byrd fought to make sure every American had a chance to live 
the American dream because he lived the American dream.
  He was born in coal country in southern West Virginia, the youngest 
of five children. His mother died before he was a year old, and he was 
raised by his aunt and uncle on a farm with no telephone, electricity 
or running water.

[[Page 12778]]

  He went on to graduate first in his high school class and married his 
high school sweetheart, Erma, to whom he was devoted throughout their 
68 years of marriage until her death in 2006. To support his wife and 
two daughters in the early years, he worked as a gas station attendant, 
a grocery store clerk and as a welder in a shipyard during World War 
II.
  A naturally gifted speaker, he was elected to the West Virginia House 
of Delegates in 1946 and to the West Virginia Senate in 1950. He won a 
seat in Congress in 1952 and his U.S. Senate seat 6 years later. He had 
such a passion for education that he remains the only American ever to 
earn a law degree while serving in Congress. President John F. Kennedy 
presented it to him at American University in 1963.
  His career in Congress spanned 12 presidents, and he cast more 18,500 
votes in the Senate. He was Senate majority leader, chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee and President pro tempore of the Senate. He 
fought every day to make life better for the people of West Virginia 
and for all Americans.
  I can tell you, Mr. President, coming from the largest State in the 
Union, we have had our share of problems. We have had floods and fires 
and droughts and pests. And every single time, after every earthquake 
or storm or other disaster, Senator Feinstein and I came to our 
colleagues to say that California needed the help of the U.S. 
government.
  Every time we needed assistance, Senator Byrd, as the chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee, opened his doors and his heart to us, sharing 
his experiences and helping us in all of these cases when we were so in 
need. I am sure many of my colleagues can recount similar experiences. 
He was always there for us.
  And I remember so well his leadership in trying to bring the troops 
home from Iraq. Twenty-three of us had stood up and said no to that 
war, and afterwards, we worried very much about what would happen with 
our troops in what was shaping up to be a long war with no exit 
strategy. Opening up his office here in the Capitol, Senator Byrd 
organized us, saying, ``We need to talk about ways that we can bring 
this war to an end.''
  He cared so much about everything he did here, from working to create 
opportunity for West Virginians and all Americans to maintaining the 
traditions and the dignity of the Senate. And for me, just to have been 
in his presence and to watch him work has really been an amazing 
experience, and so I am proud to pay tribute to him today.
  Senator Byrd stayed here through thick and thin, with a cane or a 
wheelchair, through the sheer force of will, suffering to be in this 
place that he loved so much and that he respected so much. There isn't 
a Member on either side of the aisle that didn't respect Senator Byrd 
for his intelligence, his strength, his extraordinary biography, and 
his dedication to the people of his State.
  What a legacy he leaves. It is a great loss for his family, for all 
of us in the Senate, for the people of his beloved State of West 
Virginia and for all Americans. I extend my deepest condolences to his 
family.

                          ____________________