Trent Lott: “Today we observe and celebrate a milestone in the life of one of our most respected colleagues. On Saturday, March 4…”

“Today we observe and celebrate a milestone in the life of one of our most respected colleagues. On Saturday, March 4, Senator Robert C. Byrd became the third longest-serving Senator in the history of this august body--surpassing the service of the venerable and beloved John Stennis of my State, who served 41 years and 2 months. This November, Senator Byrd will surpass the service of Senator Carl Hayden which will mean that we will be novices working alongside two of the longest-serving Senators in history. Both of them are here with us now--Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd. Just think about that. They will be the top two in history in tenure, and we will be serving with both of them. It is more than about tenure, however, when you talk about Strom Thurmond or Robert C. Byrd. In the case of Senator Byrd, in his 41-plus years, colleagues have placed their trust in him to hold the highest offices in this institution. He was among those who were elected to the leadership positions but also at the committee level. He has been both the majority leader and the minority leader; he has been President pro tempore; and he has chaired our Committee on Appropriations. Today he is the ranking Democrat on that very important committee. What he has brought to those positions has been more than hard work and high skills. He has brought a passion for procedures, an insistence upon order.”