Sen. Byrd Back on the Senate Floor

[SpartanDem]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), who hasn't been on Capitol Hill since his May 15 hospitalization, made a surprise return to the Senate today.

Byrd, 91, appeared for a noontime vote to oppose President Obama's proposal to eliminate funding the F22.

After a roughly six-week hospitalization, Byrd was released to his home earlier this month. His aides gave no indication of when he would return to the Senate, and gave no hint prior to today's appearance that he would be here today.

With an aide helping him in his wheelchair, Byrd greeted Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). The Democratic leaders appeared surprised to see the longest serving senator in the history of the republic.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/07/sen_byrd_back_on_the_senate_fl.html?hpid=topnews

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Nice to see the old guy back in action.

[havocmom]

1. tough ol' Byrd

[CountAllVotes]

2. Welcome back Sen. Bryd

Good to know you are back on the Senate floor.

:D

:kick:

[Lasher]

3. Yay Bobby!

This is good news.

[Rebubula]

4. I guess...

...as long as he is OUR Klan member, then he is OK.

I will NEVER understand the appreciation for this man considering all the damage he did while in the Klan. No one here would EVER forgive a Senator with the same record with an (R) after his name....

[SidneyCarton]

11. How much must a man do to atone Rebulba?

[Libertas1776]

5. How much longer

will he be senator, honestly? It is highly likely his seat will go to a Republican, not a Democrat.

[Fearless]

6. Except for the fact that he's supporting BS spending here.

[Ian David]

7. If he can't even stay in his seat...

Oh, not what you meant by "on the floor."

My bad.

[Beavker]

8. I don't know much about him

but his support in opposition to Obama is frowned upon by me. I'm a Ben Nelson constituent/sucker, and I don't like him either. Rather have a Republican in his place, at least I KNOW he is not supporting my agenda. It's hard to trust these Dems in Red States I'm finding.

[kpete]

9. Byrd Back on the Job

Source: The Hill


Byrd Back on the Job
By Emily Pierce
Roll Call Staff
July 21, 2009, 12:31 p.m.

Updated: 1:47 p.m.

Senate President Pro Tem Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) returned to the Capitol on Tuesday to cast a vote on the Defense authorization bill after being sidelined by illness for nearly two months.

Byrd's vote came in opposition to President Barack Obama. The White House had threatened to veto any bill that contained funding for F-22 warplanes, and the Senate voted Tuesday to stand with Obama, 58-40, by stripping money for the planes from the Defense Department authorization bill.

Byrd voted to continue funding for the planes, which have been described by Pentagon officials as too costly and impractical for the kind of wars the U.S. has been fighting in recent years.

The 91-year-old Byrd, who is third in line for the presidency and the longest-serving Senator, was hospitalized for about six weeks with multiple infections. He was released on June 30, but had not been back to the Senate for votes until Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/37033-1.html

[choie]

10. great.

he comes back from illness and votes for this piece of shit.

[Piewhacket]

12. Byrd returns to Senate

Source: Washington Post

Byrd returns to Senate

By ANDREW TAYLOR (AP) – 58 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — Robert Byrd, the longest serving senator in history, returned to the chamber Tuesday after being absent for more than two months due to illness.

The 91-year-old West Virginia Democrat, in a now-familiar wheelchair, cast his first vote since May on an amendment to a key defense policy bill.

Byrd was first elected to the Senate in 1958, and in 2006 was re-elected for a record ninth six-year term. Last November he stepped down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, but he remains the Senate's president pro tempore, a largely symbolic post reserved for the longest-serving member of the Senate. That puts him third in line of presidential succession after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He was hospitalized May 15 for an infection. His stint in the hospital was extended when he developed a more severe infection, but he was recently released.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072101558.html

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Welcome Back Senator. We missed you.

[femmocrat]

13. We might need him there for Health Care!

God bless him, he's a fighter!

[debunkthelies]

14. Grand Old Gentleman.....

From an era when Truth, Justice, and Honor were the norm.
Welcome back Senator

[tj2001]

15. Good news!