Alan Simpson: “I will speak a bit about the fact that this will be my last opportunity to be on this floor. Indeed, it has been a rich…”

“I will speak a bit about the fact that this will be my last opportunity to be on this floor. Indeed, it has been a rich and wonderful experience. There are several corollaries that I could share with those who come after me with regard to legislating. One is that legislating is very dry work, if done properly. It is not about sound bites. It is not about press conferences. It is called hard work--doing your homework, doing the hearings, sitting at the hearings, getting involved in the floor debate, the conference committee, and the all-night sessions. That is what it is. And there are many who do it well. The occupant of the Chair is a classic example of a legislator--a true legislator; a right down-in-the-trench legislator, and he knows the rules of the game to help get the work done. And no one is more skilled than that. There is another one as skilled--perhaps more. And I think the Senator in the chair would admit that it is Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia who has become a very delightful friend. I wish that all here could get to know Robert Byrd as I have come to know him--a most extraordinary Renaissance type of legislator; a soaring and extraordinary person who knows his craft. And all of us would admit that without any possible exception. So to Robert Byrd, my thanks because he 'trained me up.' He taught me so much. And when I was a rambunctious, new assistant majority leader, he took me under his wing.”