On the recordJune 29, 2010
I thank the distinguished dean of the delegation for yielding to me. And with Speaker Mollohan in the Chair this evening, the people of the Buckeye State of Ohio extend our deepest sympathies to the State of West Virginia, to the Byrd family, to all of the staff that served this truly remarkable human being and American, Senator Robert Byrd. There's a great piece of music called ``Ode to the Common Man'' by Aaron Copeland, and as I'm saying these words this evening, I think of that music and of Senator Byrd's remarkable life. He truly was a wise man of the Legislative branch who belonged to the American people. He gave his life to us. His road had been a hard scrabble one from the very beginning. He's the kind of American that walked a tough road, who when he came here to serve, he never forgot people who came from backgrounds like his. I had the great joy of serving with him on the Appropriations Committee. And being one of the few women that have ever served on that committee, when I arrived there in the 1990s, I can remember him sitting across from me at a conference committee, kind of looking over his glasses with a glint in his eye at this woman who was a bit younger than he was. He exhibited a great sense of welcome with also some surprise that indeed history in America was changing. I respected and liked him so very, very much. And I appreciated his kindness to me. He loved history.…
