Cord Byrd: “He knows the needs of its people. He knows who sends him here. I welcome the Senator to the club. I have been in the…”

“He knows the needs of its people. He knows who sends him here. I welcome the Senator to the club. I have been in the same boat with the Senator in many ways, and I have no apologies to make for serving my people. I know who sends me here. I grew up in West Virginia when we had only 4 miles of divide four-lane highway in the whole State. There were only 4 miles in the whole State when I was starting out in the West Virginia Legislature. I know West Virginia, and what is one man's pork is another man's job. I hope the Senator will just turn the back of his hand to those who criticize him for helping his people. His people recognize that he deserves the kind of award they gave him. I join them. As long as I am here I am going to remember the people who sent me here. This money isn't going overseas. The money--so-called pork-- doesn't go overseas. It goes to help people in West Virginia--their schools, their highways. People need highways on which to get to work or just to go to the grocery store or go to the schools or to the doctor or to the hospital. Those highways I helped to build with that kind of 'pork' have saved a lot of lives. It is much safer to drive on those four-lane highways in West Virginia than down through the curves and hollows, and along the deep ravines where one can't see up ahead beyond that next curve. Let me pay my respect to the Senator for doing a good job, being a good Alaskan, and a good representative of the people of Alaska.”