June 12, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 152, Pt. 8 10755 RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY House of Representatives in the early about the Fourth of July. Thanks- LEADER 1950s. In 1958, he was elected to the U.S. giving, if we are here, you give a speech The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate. on Thanksgiving. Christmas, Mother’s minority leader is recognized. His career of leadership is unsur- Day, wonderful—I can still remember passed and will always be unsurpassed. your speeches on Mother’s Day. The f He has been a mentor to me for all reason those speeches are so important TRIBUTE TO SENATOR ROBERT C. these many years and a leader for to every one of us—of course, they are BYRD whom all of us in this body have the important to you; they reflect upon highest respect. your mother, the woman who raised Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is Mon- But as we have already heard, for all you—is because it causes us to reflect day. The Galleries do not have many of his accolades—and there have been on our own mothers. Every time you people in them. We have a new batch of many—Senator BYRD himself will tell gave one of those speeches, I thought of pages. Others graduated recently. But you his greatest success truly came on my red-haired mother working so hard, everyone here—pages and those in the a late day in May, 1937, when he put on taking in wash so that I could have Gallery—should recognize that today is his best suit, traveled to the nearby clothes like the other kids. So every a day of history in America. town of Sophia, WV, and married his speech you give is not only for the peo- Public service is about personal sacrifice high school sweetheart, Erma. Today is ple of West Virginia. It is for the coun- for the greater good. It is about reaching for her birthday. try. It is for the people who work here the better angels of our human nature. Now, I had the good fortune to travel, with you. That quote is a great quote for today, on a couple of occasions, with Erma I have had the good fortune—in fact, but that quote is from ROBERT BYRD, Byrd and the Senator. We had work to I visited with one of my friends who I which should come as no surprise be- do around the world. What a wonderful, practiced law with for 12 years. A bril- cause the description fits him to a tee. wonderful woman. She was kind, liant man, he is so smart. He reads As we have heard from the distin- thoughtful, and quiet, but with a great books, has from the time he was a boy guished majority leader, Senator BYRD presence about her. I remember having until now, many books each week. I passes Strom Thurmond, who I had the the honor, really—and it was that—of have always admired Rex Jemison and good fortune to serve with, and be- Senator BYRD asking me to go to West how smart he is. But Senator BYRD, to comes the longest serving Senator in Virginia. We had a parliamentary ex- those of us who have worked with you, American history, with 17,327 days— change with the British Parliament. you have no peer. 17,327 days—of service in the Senate. I had heard this song, ‘‘West Virginia I can remember as if it were yester- You add that to his 6 years in the Hills,’’ but it never meant anything to day when you decided you were going House of Representatives, and ROBERT me until that occasion in a mesa in to take over the Appropriations Com- BYRD has served in the Congress 25 per- West Virginia where we gathered with mittee and no longer have a leadership cent of the time we have been a nation. those British parliamentarians for an position. We had an event in the Rus- Seventy-five percent of the time other evening event to listen to some blue- sell Building, the caucus room. There people served in the Congress. But this grass music, to watch the Sun go down was no press, Senators, very limited one man has served 25 percent of the in those West Virginia hills. That is staff. You stood and talked to us a lit- time we have been a country. This something I will always remember of tle bit. You told us things we thought gives us some perspective of what a sig- ROBERT BYRD and his lovely wife Erma. we always knew, and I have retold this nificant day this actually is. The U.S. There has been no greater advocate story so many times. I am going to re- Senate first met in New York City in in the almost 18,000 days this man has tell it again. You told us you could get 1789. served in the Senate, and the more in your car in Virginia, drive to West ROBERT C. BYRD has served a distin- than 18,000 days he has served in the Virginia and back—and it takes about guished career. His career in the Sen- Congress, no greater advocate for the 8 hours—reciting poetry over and back ate is significant, important, and im- State of West Virginia than Senator without stopping and never recite the pressive. But his life is impressive. ROBERT BYRD. same poem twice. Think about that. America is a place where everyone He has fought to improve access to Calculate it for a minute. How many has a chance. It does not matter that education and health care. The things people have read the Encyclopedia you are an orphan at age 1. It does not he has done for transportation in West Brittanica from cover to cover? Sen- matter that you are raised with an Virginia are legend. He has brought ator ROBERT BYRD. How many people aunt and uncle. It does not matter that jobs there. He has done things to pro- have sat down when we have a break your new parents work very, very hard tect pensioners. and read the dictionary? This man has in the coal mines of West Virginia. Be- We just passed on May 24 an example done this. How many people can recite cause, you see, in America people can of what Senator BYRD does for West poetry as he did? I have just talked succeed no matter what the status of Virginia. The Mine Improvement and about this. How many people can recite their parents. New Emergency Response Act of 2006 Shakespeare verse after verse, passages ROBERT BYRD is testimony to that. was passed on May 24. President Bush out of Scripture? He graduated valedictorian of his high will sign this into law. Again, it is im- Senator BYRD gave a series of speech- school class. He went to work in the portant legislation for miners across es here, 10 speeches, each lasting for 1 depths of the Great Depression because the country. It means a lot to me. I hour. The subject was the line-item he had no way of paying to go to col- have spoken to Senator BYRD about veto was going to ruin the Senate. The lege. He worked at a number of dif- miners. My father was a miner. And I comparison was to the Roman Empire, ferent jobs. He worked odd jobs wher- am proud of the work Senator BYRD the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. ever he could find them, pumping gas, has done for West Virginia because it Senator BYRD gave 10 speeches. When I selling produce, working as a meat cut- helps all miners. was not able to listen personally, I lis- ter, a butcher, and even during World I asked, as I was coming here, my tened to the recording. So tremendous War II doing some welding on ‘‘Lib- long-serving personal assistant Janice were those speeches that the head of erty’’ and ‘‘Victory’’ ships. Shelton: What do you want me to say the political science department at After the war, he returned to West about Senator BYRD? She has worked UNV–LV, Dr. Randy Tuttle, taught a Virginia and began his distinguished with me all the time I have been in the course on ROBERT BYRD based on these career of public service. Senate. 10 speeches. The West Virginia House of Delegates She said: No Senator comes and talks I asked Senator BYRD: You gave was his first elected position. Then he to the country like Senator BYRD. those speeches, you quit right on time, was elected to the West Virginia Sen- The Fourth of July you prepare your you had an hour set aside. How did you ate. Then he was elected to the U.S. own speech; you read your own speech know when to stop?

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