Robert Byrd: “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.

Massey mines were cited for 31,000 violations. This means that, on the average during that 10 year period, a miner was seriously injured every other day.

This isn't the average. This is deplorable, is what it is. It's not average, and it's not acceptable.

I believe that efforts to change or reinterpreted the rules in order to facilitate expeditious action by a simple majority are grossly misguided. The Senate is the only place in government where the rights of a numerical minority are so…