West Virginia Governor Senator Robert Byrd Passed Away at 92
By Soumitra Mondal, Gaea News NetworkMonday, June 28, 2010
New York (GaeaTimes.com) Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate passed away this Monday at the age of ninety two. He was a fiery orator and hard changing power broker who steered billions of federal money for his beloved West Virginia. He was a senator from January 3, 1959 till his death to become the longest serving member in the congressional history.
By virtue of his endurance, Robert Byrd knew and worked with many of the greats of the United States Senate.
The Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada said,
Because of his enduring virtue, he will be remembered as one of them. Senator Byrd dedicated every single day of his Senate service to strengthening the institution, state and republic that he loved so dearly.
Jesse Jacobs, a spokesperson for the family said that Senator Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital. He was admitted to the hospital since last week. It was reported that at first he was suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration. His condition was described as serious from the day he was admitted to the hospital. Byrd had been in frail health in recent years and had to be hospitalized three times in 2009. In his last days, he was reported to be confined to a wheelchair. But he was present and voted yes for the final Senate passage of the health care reform bill in March.
Robert Byrd began his career in Washington in 1952 as he was elected to the House. He got elevated to the Senate six years later. Byrd broke the record for longest congressional service in November. The record was previously held by Democrat Carl Hayden of Arizona. He served the House from 1912 to 1969.
