Robert Byrd: “the Senate has been the last fortress of minority rights and freedom of speech in this republic for more than two…”

Let us clearly understand one thing. The Constitution's Framers never intended for the Senate to function like the House of Representatives.

No one has done more for miners in this country than Senator Robert C. Byrd, of West Virginia.

I think that as long as we have respect for the institution and for the Minority to be heard, that this will bring accountability to the process.

The reconciliation process was designed to facilitate legislation to reduce deficits. Instead, the process has been used to enact multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts that led to record deficits over the last 8 years.