Patrick Leahy: “yesterday afternoon my wife Marcelle and I went and said our final farewells to our Erma Byrd, the wife of our…”

“yesterday afternoon my wife Marcelle and I went and said our final farewells to our Erma Byrd, the wife of our distinguished colleague and friend, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Marcelle and I have been privileged to know both Senator and Mrs. Byrd for well over 30 years. While there, we talked with the distinguished senior citizen from West Virginia and told him how much that relationship meant, but especially how much it meant to us to see a love affair such as theirs, one that continued from the time they were teenagers to the time of Mrs. Byrd's death. Mrs. Byrd and my wife used to sometimes drive down together for Senate spouse meetings. Every time Marcelle would come back, she would tell me something new and valuable she had learned from Erma and how much that friendship meant. In recent times, when illness stopped her ability to come here, I would talk with my good friend Robert Byrd and ask him how Erma was doing and to tell him that both she and Robert were in our prayers and our thoughts. Many of us will be at the funeral this weekend out of respect for both of them. I will be thinking of the privilege it has been to have known them both and how privileged I am to still have as a dear friend and colleague Senator Robert C. Byrd. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”