Jay Rockefeller: “I need to report to you, as of course our colleagues know, that Senator Randolph has died. My colleague, Senator Byrd…”

“I need to report to you, as of course our colleagues know, that Senator Randolph has died. My colleague, Senator Byrd, spoke to the subject, and did so very eloquently. I think the sad news, of course, is that he is no longer with us. The good news is, in talking with one of his two sons Jay and Frank--and the Senator from West Virginia talked with Jay--he said he died very peacefully on Friday. He was a great defender of all 13 States in the Appalachian Regional Commission, including the State of Mississippi. It was a very interesting decision, in fact, when Senator Randolph decided to resign. I now can tell a story which I have never told before because it was one of such exquisite sensitivity on the part of the then-senior Senator from West Virginia, Senator Randolph.”