One of the top priorities of Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., has been to represent his fellow West Virginians to the best of his ability in Washington. He has done that for more than half a century.
Today Byrd is being recognized for becoming the longest-serving member of Congress in history. He has set a new record of 56 years, 320 days as a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. To put that in perspective, consider that most Americans living today had not been born when Byrd became a member of Congress in 1953.
Critics of the senator - and there are many - have been upset with him for many years because of his ability to steer federal spending to our state. They sneer frequently at the number of buildings, highways and other public facilities named for Byrd.
But they miss several important points. First is that Byrd is simply better than most of his fellow senators at obtaining federal money. Virtually all of them attempt to direct government funds to their states. Byrd's only sin, in the minds of his detractors, is that he is extremely good at it.
Quite frankly, we like that in the senator. The long list of West Virginia projects funded with federal money includes hundreds of worthwhile initiatives. That is in contrast to the lesser accomplishments of many other representatives and senators, whose pet projects sometimes are of little real value to people in their districts.
Byrd has been much more than a source of help from Washington, however. In representing his fellow West Virginians, he also attempts, often successfully, to influence legislation in a manner that is in keeping with the basic beliefs of most Mountain State residents. In most cases, West Virginia values serve the nation well.
No one else serving on Capitol Hill has such respect for the Senate as an institution and the Constitution as a foundation for our freedoms. That, too, serves the nation well.
Today Byrd marks yet another milestone in his distinguished career. On Friday, he will celebrate his 92nd birthday. On behalf of his fellow West Virginians, then, we wish him a hearty "Happy birthday" - and we extend our thanks for a job still being done very well.