Robert Carlyle Byrd was born on Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.
159 Facts About Robert Byrd
2.
Robert Byrd remains the longest-serving US Senator in history; he was the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress until surpassed by Representative John Dingell of Michigan.
3.
Robert Byrd is the only West Virginian to have served in both chambers of the state legislature and in both chambers of Congress.
4.
Critics derided his efforts as pork barrel spending, while Robert Byrd argued that the many federal projects he worked to bring to West Virginia represented progress for the people of his state.
5.
Notably, Robert Byrd strongly opposed Clinton's 1993 efforts to allow homosexuals to serve in the military and supported efforts to limit same-sex marriage.
6.
Robert Byrd was outspoken in his opposition to the Iraq War.
7.
Robert Byrd died in office on June 28,2010, at the age of 92, and was buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.
8.
Robert Byrd was born on November 20,1917, as Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.
9.
Robert Byrd was the youngest of four and in accordance with his mother's wishes, his father dispersed the children among relatives.
10.
Robert Byrd was the valedictorian of his 1934 graduating class at Stotesbury's Mark Twain High School.
11.
On May 29,1936, Robert Byrd married Erma Ora James who was born to a coal mining family in Floyd County, Virginia.
12.
Robert Byrd's family moved to Raleigh County, West Virginia, where she met Byrd when they attended the same high school.
13.
Robert Byrd had two daughters, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
14.
Robert Byrd then wrote to Joel L Baskin, Grand Dragon of the Realm of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, who responded that he would come and organize a chapter when Byrd had recruited 150 people.
15.
In December 1944, Byrd wrote to segregationist Mississippi Senator Theodore G Bilbo:.
16.
Robert Byrd said he had joined the Klan because he felt it offered excitement and was anti-communist, but suggested his participation there "reflected the fears and prejudices" of the time.
17.
In 1951, Robert Byrd was among the official witnesses of the execution of Harry Burdette and Fred Painter, which was the first use of the electric chair in West Virginia.
18.
Early in his career Robert Byrd attended Beckley College, Concord College, Morris Harvey College, Marshall College, and George Washington University Law School, and joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
19.
Robert Byrd began night classes at American University Washington College of Law in 1953, while a member of the United States House of Representatives.
20.
Robert Byrd completed law school in an era when undergraduate degrees were not a requirement.
21.
Robert Byrd was re-elected twice from this district, anchored in Charleston and including his home in Sophia, serving from January 3,1953, to January 3,1959.
22.
Robert Byrd was West Virginia's junior senator for his first four terms; his colleague from 1959 to 1985 was Jennings Randolph, who had been elected on the same day as Byrd's first election in a special election to fill the seat of the late Senator Matthew Neely.
23.
Capito's district covered much of the territory Robert Byrd had represented in the US House.
24.
Robert Byrd was elected to a record ninth consecutive full Senate term in the November 7,2006, midterm elections.
25.
Robert Byrd became the longest-serving senator in American history on June 12,2006, surpassing Strom Thurmond of South Carolina with 17,327 days of service.
26.
On November 18,2009, Robert Byrd became the longest-serving member in congressional history, with 56 years, 320 days of combined service in the House and Senate, passing Carl Hayden of Arizona.
27.
Previously, Robert Byrd had held the record for the longest unbroken tenure in the Senate.
28.
Robert Byrd is the only senator ever to serve more than 50 years.
29.
At the time of Robert Byrd's death, 14 sitting or former members of the Senate had not been born when Robert Byrd's tenure in the Senate began, as well as then-President Barack Obama.
30.
Robert Byrd was a member of the wing of the Democratic Party that opposed federally-mandated desegregation and civil rights.
31.
Robert Byrd joined with Southern Democratic senators to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964, personally filibustering the bill for 14 hours, a move he later said he regretted.
32.
Robert Byrd did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto, and voted in favor Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and the 24th Amendment to the US Constitution.
33.
Robert Byrd voted in favor of the initial House resolution for the Civil Rights Act of 1957 on June 18,1957, but voted against the Senate amendment to the bill on August 27,1957.
34.
Robert Byrd voted against the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as well as the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the US Supreme Court.
35.
In 2005, Robert Byrd told The Washington Post that his membership in the Baptist church led to a change in his views.
36.
In February 1968, Robert Byrd questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Earle Wheeler during the latter's testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
37.
Vice President Hubert Humphrey won the presidential nomination, and Robert Byrd campaigned for him that fall.
38.
Robert Byrd succeeded George Smathers as secretary of the Senate Democratic Conference from 1967 to 1971.
39.
Robert Byrd unseated Ted Kennedy in 1971 to become Majority Whip, the second highest-ranking Democrat, until 1977.
40.
Robert Byrd had the inside track as Majority Whip but focused most of his time running for Majority Leader, more so than for re-election to the Senate, as he was virtually unopposed for his fourth term.
41.
From 1977 to 1989 Robert Byrd was the leader of the Senate Democrats, serving as Majority Leader from 1977 to 1981 and 1987 to 1989, and as Minority Leader from 1981 to 1987.
42.
Robert Byrd was known for steering federal dollars to West Virginia, one of the country's poorest states.
43.
Robert Byrd was called the "King of Pork" by Citizens Against Government Waste.
44.
Robert Byrd passed that mark in 1991, and funds for highways, dams, educational institutions, and federal agency offices flowed unabated over the course of his membership.
45.
Robert Byrd commented on his reputation for attaining funds for projects in West Virginia in August 2006, when he called himself "Big Daddy" at the dedication for the Robert C Byrd Biotechnology Science Center.
46.
Robert Byrd was known for using his knowledge of parliamentary procedure.
47.
In 2002 Robert Byrd secured unanimous approval for a major national initiative to strengthen the teaching of "traditional American history" in K-12 public schools.
48.
In 2004, Robert Byrd received the American Historical Association's first Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award for Civil Service; in 2007, Robert Byrd received the Friend of History Award from the Organization of American Historians.
49.
On July 19,2007, Robert Byrd gave a 25-minute speech in the Senate against dog fighting in response to the indictment of football player Michael Vick.
50.
For 2007, Robert Byrd was deemed the 14th-most powerful senator, as well as the 12th-most powerful Democratic senator.
51.
On May 19,2008, Robert Byrd endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama for president.
52.
On January 26,2009, Robert Byrd was one of three Democrats to vote against the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as United States Secretary of the Treasury.
53.
On February 26,2009, Robert Byrd was one of two Democrats to vote against the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009, which if it had become law would have added a voting seat in the United States House of Representatives for the District of Columbia and add a seat for Utah, explaining that he supported the intent of the legislation, but regarded it as an attempt to solve with legislation an issue which required resolution with a Constitutional amendment.
54.
Robert Byrd initially compiled a mixed record on the subjects of race relations and desegregation.
55.
Robert Byrd said that he regretted filibustering and voting against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and would change it if he had the opportunity.
56.
Robert Byrd said that his views changed dramatically after his teenage grandson was killed in a 1982 traffic accident, which put him in a deep emotional valley.
57.
Day holiday, Robert Byrd grasped the symbolism of the day and its significance to his legacy, telling members of his staff "I'm the only one in the Senate who must vote for this bill".
58.
In Marshall's case, Byrd asked FBI Director J Edgar Hoover to look into the possibility that Marshall had either connections to communists or a communist past.
59.
Robert Byrd called Thomas's comments a "diversionary tactic" and said, "I thought we were past that stage".
60.
Robert Byrd joined 45 other Democrats in voting against confirming Thomas to the Supreme Court.
61.
In June 2005, Robert Byrd proposed an additional $10,000,000 in federal funding for the Martin Luther King Jr.
62.
Robert Byrd initially said that the impeachment proceedings against Clinton should be taken seriously.
63.
Robert Byrd strongly opposed Clinton's 1993 efforts to allow homosexuals to serve in the military and supported efforts to limit gay marriage.
64.
On March 11,1982, Byrd voted against a measure sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch that sought to reverse Roe v Wade and allow Congress and individual states to adopt laws banning abortions.
65.
In 1995, Robert Byrd voted against a ban on intact dilation and extraction, a late-term abortion procedure typically referred to by its opponents as "partial-birth abortion".
66.
Robert Byrd voted against the 2004 Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which recognizes a "child in utero" as a legal victim if he or she is injured or killed during the commission of a crime of violence.
67.
Robert Byrd initially opposed direct elections on the key vote and was one of two senators to switch votes in favor of the proposal during later votes.
68.
In October 1970, Robert Byrd sponsored an amendment protecting members of Congress and those elected that have not yet assumed office.
69.
Robert Byrd mentioned the 88 political assassinations in the United States and said state law was not adequate to handle the increase in political violence.
70.
In February 1971, after Fred R Harris and Charles Mathias requested the Senate Rules Committee change the rules to permit selection of committee chairmen on a basis aside from seniority, Byrd indicated through his line of questioning that he saw considerable value in the seniority system.
71.
Robert Byrd maintained that the Senate was ill-equipped for girl pages and was among those that cited the long hours of work, the carrying of sometimes heavy documents and the high crime rate in the Capitol area as among the reasons against it.
72.
In September 1971, Representative Richard H Poff was under consideration by President Nixon for a Supreme Court nomination, Byrd warning Poff that his nomination could be met with opposition by liberal senators and see a filibuster emerge.
73.
In September 1972, Edward Brooke attempted to reintroduce his war ending amendment that had been defeated earlier in the week as an addendum to a clean drinking water bill when he discovered that Robert Byrd had arranged a unanimous consent free agreement prohibiting amendments that were not relevant to the subject.
74.
In January 1973, the Senate passed legislation containing an amendment Robert Byrd offered requiring President Nixon to give Congress an accounting of all funds that he had impounded and appropriated by February 5.
75.
The legislation contained an amendment sponsored by Robert Byrd limiting the budget officials to a maximum term of four years before having another confirmation proceeding.
76.
Robert Byrd introduced another amendment that required all Cabinet officers be required to undergo reconfirmation by the Senate in the event that they are retained from one administration to another.
77.
On May 2,1973, the anniversary of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover's death, Byrd called on President Nixon to appoint a permanent successor for Hoover as FBI Director.
78.
In June 1973, Robert Byrd sponsored a bill that would impose the first Tuesday in October as the date for all federal elections and mandate that states hold primary elections for federal elections between the first Tuesday in June and the first Tuesday in July.
79.
In June 1973, along with Lloyd Bentsen, Mike Mansfield, John Tower, and Jennings Randolph, Robert Byrd was one of five senators to switch their vote on the foreign military aid authorization bill to assure its passage after previously voting against it.
80.
In November 1973, after the Senate rejected an amendment to the National Energy Emergency Act intending to direct President Nixon to put gasoline rationing into effect on January 15, Robert Byrd indicated the final vote not coming for multiple days.
81.
Robert Byrd was absent when present members passed the nomination as part of their efforts to clear the chamber's executive calendar and rescinded the confirmation.
82.
Robert Byrd was among multiple conservative senators who stated that they would not ask Nixon to resign.
83.
Bush issued a formal statement indicating no chance for the Nixon administration to be salvaged, Robert Byrd was advocating for President Nixon to face some punishment for the illegal activities of the administration and that former vice president Spiro Agnew should have been imprisoned.
84.
Robert Byrd admitted that he had preferred sending the nomination with no recommendation but was worried the act would apply prejudice to the nominee.
85.
In January 1975, after President Ford requested $300 million in additional military aid for South Vietnam and $222 million more for the Khmer Republic from Congress, Robert Byrd said Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had described the aid as "imperative" and that congressional leaders had been told North Vietnam would take over Saigon "little by little" if additional ammunition and other aid were not provided by the US to Saigon.
86.
In January 1977, after President-elect Carter announced his nomination of Theodore C Sorensen to be Director of Central Intelligence, Byrd admitted to reporters that there could be difficulty securing a Senate confirmation.
87.
Between January and February 1979, Robert Byrd proposed outlawing tactics frequently used to prevent him from bringing a bill to the floor for consideration.
88.
Robert Byrd stated the filibuster tactics gave the Senate a bad reputation and rendered it ineffective.
89.
Robert Byrd's proposals initially earned the opposition of Republicans and conservative Democrats until there was a compromise for the reform package to be split and have the less objectionable part come up first for consideration.
90.
In October 1977, Robert Byrd stated his refusal to authorize the Senate dropping consideration of the natural gas legislation under any circumstances, predicting the matter would be settled in the coming days as a result of conversations with colleagues he had the night before and a growing disillusion with filibusters in place of action on legislation.
91.
Robert Byrd added that the deregulation bill would not become law due to it being identical to the Carter administration's proposal and President Carter's prior statement that he would veto deregulation bills.
92.
In May 1978, Robert Byrd announced that he would not move to end a filibuster against the Carter administration's labor law revision bill until after the Memorial Day recess.
93.
The decision was seen as allowing wavering senators to not be cornered on their votes as lobbying efforts for both business and labor commenced and various opponents of the bill viewed Robert Byrd's call as a sign of weakness toward the Carter administration.
94.
In March 1979, after Attorney General Griffin Bell named a special counsel in the Carter warehouse investigation, Robert Byrd stated his dissatisfaction with the move in a Senate floor speech, citing the existence of legislation approved by Congress the previous year that would allow the appointment of a special prosecutor.
95.
Days later, after the Senate voted to grant President Carter authority to set energy conservation targets for each of the 50 states and allow Carter to impose mandatory measures on any statfailed to implement a plan to meet the targets he set, Robert Byrd reaffirmed his opposition to attempts aimed at President Carter's decision to remove price controls from crude oil produced within the United States.
96.
Republican William Roth sponsored an amendment that Robert Byrd moved to table Senator Roth's request for a budget waiver and won by five votes.
97.
Later that month, after the Senate approved $1.5 billion in Federal loan guarantees for the Chrysler Corporation tonight after defeating a proposal to provide emergency, Byrd confirmed that he had spoken with United States Secretary of the Treasury G William Miller about what Byrd called "excellent" chances that the Senate would complete work on a federal loans guarantees bill for Chrysler.
98.
Robert Byrd stated that every government in the NATO alliance except Greece favored repeal of the embargo.
99.
In May 1979, Robert Byrd stated that giving Turkey a grant should not be construed as retaliation against Greece and that aid for Turkey would improve Turkey's security in addition to that of Greece, NATO, and of American allies in the Middle East.
100.
Robert Byrd mentioned his encouragement from the report on the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities agreeing to resume negotiations on the island's future as well as reports that progress was being made on the reintegration of Greece into NATO.
101.
Robert Byrd furthered that American military installations in Turkey were "of major importance in the monitoring of Soviet strategic activities" and would have "obvious significance" in the goal of verifying compliance by the Soviet Union with the strategic arms treaty.
102.
In January 1979, Robert Byrd met with Deputy Prime Minister of China Deng Xiaoping for assurances by Deng that China hoped to unite Taiwan to the mainland by peaceful means and would fully respect "the present realities" on the island.
103.
Robert Byrd afterward stated that his concern on the Taiwan question had been allayed.
104.
Robert Byrd noted that he was opposed to the treaty being "held hostage to the Cuban situation" as American interests could be harmed in the event the treaty was defeated solely due to Soviet Armed Forces troops being in Cuba.
105.
On May 10,1980, Robert Byrd called for President Carter to debate Senator Ted Kennedy, who he complimented as having done a service for the US by raising key issues in his presidential campaign.
106.
In early 1990, Robert Byrd proposed an amendment granting special aid to coal miners who would lose their jobs in the event that Congress passed clean air legislation.
107.
Robert Byrd was initially confident in the number of votes he needed to secure its passage being made available but this was prevented by a vote from Democrat Joe Biden who said the measure's passage would mean an assured veto by President Bush.
108.
In February 1992, the Senate turned down a Republican attempt sponsored by John McCain and Dan Coats to grant President Bush line-item veto authority and thereby be authorized to kill projects that he was opposed to, Robert Byrd delivering an address defending congressional power over spending for eight hours afterward.
109.
Robert Byrd raised a procedural point to derail an attempt by Dole that would approve $50 billion in spending cuts over the following five years.
110.
McCain proposed killing highway demonstration projects with a $203 million price tag, leading Robert Byrd to produce letters written by McCain that the latter had sent to the Appropriations Committee in 1991 in an attempt to gather highway grants for his home state of Arizona.
111.
Robert Byrd argued that lawmakers had never approved nor debate whether American troops should be stationed in Kosovo.
112.
In November 2000, Congress passed an amendment sponsored by Robert Byrd diverting tariff revenues from the Treasury Department and instead allocating them to the industry complaining, the amount involved ranging from between $40 million and $200 million a year.
113.
Likewise, Robert Byrd was one of four Democrats who supported the confirmation of Samuel Alito to replace retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
114.
Robert Byrd opposed the 2002 Homeland Security Act, which created the Department of Homeland Security, stating that the bill ceded too much authority to the executive branch.
115.
On May 2,2002, Robert Byrd charged the White House with engaging in "sophomoric political antics", citing Homeland Security Advisor Tom Ridge's briefing of senators in another location instead of the Senate on how safe he felt the US was.
116.
Robert Byrd led the opposition to Bush's bid to win back the power to negotiate trade deals that Congress cannot amend, but lost overwhelmingly.
117.
In July 2004, Robert Byrd released the New York Times best-selling book Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency, which criticized the Bush presidency and the war in Iraq.
118.
Robert Byrd was one of the Senate's most outspoken critics of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
119.
Robert Byrd anticipated the difficulty of fighting an insurgency in Iraq, stating on March 13,2003,.
120.
Robert Byrd criticized Bush for his speech declaring the "end of major combat operations" in Iraq, which Bush made on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
121.
On October 17,2003, Robert Byrd delivered a speech expressing his concerns about the future of the nation and his unequivocal antipathy to Bush's policies.
122.
Robert Byrd voted to tie a timetable for troop withdrawal to war funding.
123.
On May 23,2005, Robert Byrd was one of 14 senators to forge a compromise on the judicial filibuster, thus securing up and down votes for many judicial nominees and ending the threat of the so-called nuclear option that would have eliminated the filibuster entirely.
124.
In 1977, Byrd was one of five Democrats to vote against the nomination of F Ray Marshall as United States Secretary of Labor.
125.
Robert Byrd proceeded to give a signal for Democrats that saw caucus members switch their votes in support of the increase.
126.
In March 1981, during a Capitol Hill interview, Robert Byrd stated that the Reagan administration was promoting an economic package with assumptions for the national economy that might take a year for the public to see its difficulties and thereby lead to a political backlash.
127.
Robert Byrd contented that President Reagan would win approval by Congress of $35 to $40 billion of the $48 billion in proposed budget cuts while having more difficulty in passing his tax-cut package, asserting Democratic opposition and some Republicans having misgivings about the approach as the reason Congress would block the plan and furthering that he would be surprised if a one-year cut in rates lasted more than year.
128.
In March 1981, during a news conference, Robert Byrd stated that the Reagan administration had not established a coherent foreign policy.
129.
Robert Byrd credited conflicting statements from administration officials with having contributed to confusion in Western European capitals.
130.
On December 2,1981, Robert Byrd voted in favor of an amendment to President Reagan's MX missiles proposal that would divert the silo system by $334 million as well as earmark further research for other methods that would allow giant missiles to be based.
131.
In February 1982, Robert Byrd wrote a letter to President Reagan urging him to "withdraw the Administration's proposed fiscal 1983 budget, and resubmit a budget that provides for much lower deficits and makes use of more realistic assumptions", recalling his previous appeal to President Carter in 1980 amid the rise of soaring inflation rates and Carter afterward consulting with Democrats in Congress.
132.
In March 1982, Robert Byrd announced he would introduce an amendment to the War Powers Act that would bar the president from being able to send combat troops to the Salvadoran Civil War without the approval of Congress.
133.
Robert Byrd described the proposal as only allowing the president to act with independence in the event that Americans needed to evacuate El Salvador or if the United States was attacked.
134.
In March 1984, Robert Byrd voted against a proposed constitutional amendment authorizing periods in public school for silent prayer, and in favor of President Reagan's unsuccessful proposal for a constitutional amendment permitting organized school prayer in public schools.
135.
In June 1984, Robert Byrd was one of five Democrats to vote against the Lawton Chiles proposal to cease MX production for a year during study in search of a smaller and single-warhead missile.
136.
Robert Byrd admitted that calling for the death penalty seemed harsh, but cautioned that children in some cases had their entire lives destroyed through using drugs and that Congress had been soft for too long without seeing a change in results.
137.
In December 1986, Robert Byrd announced that the Senate would convene a Watergate-type select committee to investigate the Iran-Contra affair the following year and that he had reached an agreement with Bob Dole for the committee to have six Democrats and five Republicans.
138.
Robert Byrd and Dole disagreed on whether it was a necessity for Congress to be launched into a special session that month for the purpose of getting the investigative process moving.
139.
In November 1993, when the Senate voted to seek federal court enforcement of a subpoena for the diaries of Bob Packwood, Robert Byrd stated the possibility of Americans becoming convinced that the Senate was delaying taking action to protect one of its own members.
140.
In October 1999, Robert Byrd was the only senator to vote present on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
141.
In 2009, Robert Byrd was one of three Democrats to oppose the confirmation of Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner.
142.
In 2010, Robert Byrd received a 70 percent lifetime rating from the American Civil Liberties Union for supporting rights-related legislation.
143.
Robert Byrd had an essential tremor; he eventually used a wheelchair for mobility.
144.
Robert Byrd's health declined through 2008, including several hospital admissions.
145.
Robert Byrd, seated at the same table, became distraught and was himself removed to his office.
146.
Robert Byrd died at approximately EDT the next day at age 92 from natural causes.
147.
Vice President Joe Biden recalled Robert Byrd's standing in the rain with him as Biden buried his daughter when Biden had just been elected to the Senate.
148.
Robert Byrd held the deepest respect of members of both parties, and he was generous with his time and advice, something I appreciated greatly as a young senator.
149.
Robert Byrd was a giant among legislators, and was courageous in espousing controversial issues.
150.
On July 1,2010, Robert Byrd lay in repose on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Senate chamber of the United States Capitol, becoming the first senator to do so since 1957.
151.
Robert Byrd was then flown to Charleston, West Virginia, where he lay in repose in the Lower Rotunda of the West Virginia State Capitol.
152.
Several long clips of Robert Byrd show him passionately arguing against authorizing the use of force in Iraq.
153.
Robert Byrd was an avid fiddle player for most of his life, starting in his teens when he played in various square dance bands.
154.
Robert Byrd was accompanied by Country Gentlemen Doyle Lawson, James Bailey, and Spider Gilliam.
155.
Robert Byrd covers "Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die", a Zeke Manners song, and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".
156.
Robert Byrd had performed at the Kennedy Center, on the Grand Ole Opry and on Hee Haw.
157.
Robert Byrd occasionally took a break from Senate business to entertain audiences with his fiddle.
158.
Robert Byrd stopped playing in 1982 when the symptoms of a benign essential tremor had begun to affect the use of his hands.
159.
Robert Byrd appeared in the Civil War movie Gods and Generals in 2003 along with then-Virginia senator George Allen.