Sen. Robert Byrd will become the longest-serving member of Congress

[DearAbby]

Washington (CNN) – Sen. Robert Byrd will become the longest-serving member of Congress Wednesday, having logged a staggering 20,774 days representing his home state of West Virginia in either the U.S. House or Senate.

Most of Byrd's tenure in federal office has been in the U.S. Senate, where he will have served 18,583 days, from January 3, 1959, through Wednesday. He became that body's longest-serving member in June 2006, surpassing the record previously held by the late Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.

The West Virginia Democrat also served a total of 2,191 days, from January 3, 1953, to January 3, 1959, in the House of Representatives

The late Carl Hayden, D-Arizona, held the previous record for longest total congressional service. Hayden served in the House and the Senate for a total 20,773 days, from February 12, 1912, to January 3, 1969.


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/17/byrd-set-to-mark-first-20744-days-in-office/

[bluestateguy]

1. Good for him

Then hopefully he will retire on Thursday so the governor can appoint a senator who won't be a pill about reconciliation in the health care bill.

[tekisui]

2. Congrats Senator, you got the record, now please retire.

[pokercat999]

3. While Sen. Byrd has championed or led the fight on many

progressive causes over the years, his record of longevity is nothing to be proud or happy about. We're long past the time when it really mattered where a Senator was from and long past the time for term limits. I'd give up Byrd to get rid of any rethug. There are over 300M people in the US, if the congress represents the 435 BEST we could find ourselves in very deep trouble......uh....forget it.

[DearAbby]

4. "In the Senate, a unanimous sentiment: Praise for Robert Byrd"

Washington (CNN) – Plaudits are rolling in from both sides of the Senate aisle for U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd as the passionate and painstaking Democratic senator from West Virginia became the longest-serving member of the U.S. Congress Wednesday.

On the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and others issued moving tributes to the larger-than-life legislator, who served six years in the House and then nearly 51 years and counting in the Senate.

The senators marveled at Byrd's milestones:

He became the only person ever elected to nine full terms in the Senate,
served in Congress for 20,774 days, cast more than 18,000 Senate votes, and is the longest-serving member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He presided over the Senate's shortest and longest continuous sessions.

He is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and has never lost an election.

More:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/18/in-the-senate-a-unanimous-sentiment-praise-for-robert-byrd/