Cord Byrd: “To say that these are historic times would be hackneyed and trite. To say that the leaders of the Senate have risen to…”

“To say that these are historic times would be hackneyed and trite. To say that the leaders of the Senate have risen to new heights and are acting and speaking as statesmen would be something other than trite. I first want to congratulate my leader on this side of the aisle and my leader on that side of the aisle. I know they have gone through some excruciating moments. I know, without asking, that they have lost some sleep. I know, without inquiring, that they have rolled and tossed on their pillows, having been in their shoes myself. When I came to the Senate, Lyndon Johnson was the majority leader. Politics did not prevail over statesmanship. He worked with a Republican President, President Eisenhower, in the best interests of the Nation. When the great civil rights debate of 1964 occurred, Everett Dirksen did not play politics. Had Everett Dirksen not worked with Lyndon Johnson and with Mike Mansfield, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would never have been written. Had Everett Dirksen played politics instead of acting the part of statesman, cloture would never have been invoked on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. When the Panama Canal treaties were before the Senate in 1977, had Howard Baker chose to play the part of a politician and not worked with Robert Byrd in the interests of the Nation as we saw those interests, the Panama Canal treaties would not have been approved. More lives would have been lost. Howard Baker acted the part of statesman. We both were swimming uphill.…”