Cord Byrd: “when the 109th Congress convenes in January, 2005, this Chamber and our Nation will, unfortunately, be without the…”

“when the 109th Congress convenes in January, 2005, this Chamber and our Nation will, unfortunately, be without the services of Senator John B. Breaux. This will truly be a loss to the Senate and to our Nation. With the retirement of Senator Breaux, we lose a man of exceptional political experience. This son of an oil-field worker and a dressmaker began his political career as a staff aide to Congressman, and later, Governor, Edwin Edwards. Mr. Breaux was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives seven times, the first when he was just 28 years of age, making him the youngest member of the United States Congress at the time. He served in the House for 14 years where he, among other things, was a principal architect of the 1983 reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and has served three terms in this chamber. Now, after 32 years of congressional experience, Senator Breaux is leaving us. With the retirement of Senator Breaux, we lose one of those Senators who is always ready and willing to reach across the aisle to find common ground, to achieve the workable compromise. He has constantly demonstrated the ability to reach beyond partisan and ideological differences, without abandoning his basic principles. Politics is said to be the art of compromise, and this was an art that Senator Breaux constantly practiced.”