In the Senate, Robert Byrd works for the people. Better jobs. Health care that is affordable and close to home. A good future for our children and grandchildren. Each day in the Senate, Robert Byrd is focused on building a brighter future for the Mountain State.

Throughout West Virginia, thousands of new jobs have been created because of Senator Byrd’s initiatives. New industries are taking root -- biometrics; aerospace research; advanced manufacturing; computer research; defense innovations. And traditional industries -- coal and energy, chemicals, steel -- continue to serve as the economic backbone of our communities.

Byrd’s efforts don’t stop with new industry and economic opportunity. He’s worked hard to expand access to health care for tens of thousands of West Virginians. The Health Sciences Center and the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center, each at West Virginia University, the Center for Rural Health at Marshall University, and at the West Virginia School for Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg are utilizing innovation to bring doctors and nurses closer to people in rural West Virginia. And specialized treatments, created in the Mountain State through Byrd’s Senate work, ensure that West Virginians do not have to drive out of state for cutting-edge care.

Byrd’s work is shaped by the West Virginia values that he learned from his parents, Titus and Vlurma Byrd. This couple never had much in terms of material wealth, often scraping by thanks to odd jobs and in-house boarders. But they shared with Robert their living example of faith in the Creator, grounding the future leader in Scripture and in the simple wisdom of living life by the Golden Rule.

In the halls of Congress, Robert C. Byrd is best known for his fierce defense of the Constitution and the institution of the Senate. The Almanac of American Politics says that Byrd "may come closer to the kind of senator the Founding Fathers had in mind than any other." Senators from both parties have paid tribute to Byrd’s devotion to the Constitution. He endeavors to make sure that the wisdom of the Constitution’s Framers is not forgotten and that the people’s liberties are protected.

In the history of the Republic, Byrd has served longer than all but one Member of Congress. In June 2006, Byrd became the longest serving Senator in the history of the Republic and, in November 2006, he was elected to an unprecedented ninth consecutive term in the Senate. During his tenure, his colleagues have elected him to more leadership positions than any other Senator in history. Throughout his career, Byrd has cast nearly 17,800 roll call votes -- an amazing 98.7 percent attendance record in his nearly five decades of service in the Senate.

Growing up in Raleigh County, Byrd not only learned the values that have guided him in his life, but that is where he also met his life’s love, Erma Ora James. They both attended Mark Twain High School and married shortly after graduation in 1937. For nearly 69 years, the Byrds were inseparable, traveling the hills and hollows of West Virginia and crossing the globe together. Mrs. Byrd passed away in March 2006 after battling a long illness.

While supporting his new family, Robert Byrd could not afford college. In fact, his diploma from Marshall University would have to wait until 60 years after high school, when Senator Byrd was 77 years old. In between high school and his undergraduate degree, though, Byrd enrolled in law school and, after ten years of classes taken while also serving as a Member of Congress, Senator Byrd earned his law degree from American University in 1963.

Knowing the importance of education, Senator Byrd has helped thousands of young people earn their own college diploma. Through the Scholastic Recognition Award, which the Senator started in 1969, the valedictorian at each West Virginia public and private high school receives a savings bond and a special congratulations from the Senator. Then, in 1985, Byrd launched the first and only federal merit-based scholarship. Since its inception, tens of thousands of students across the country have helped to pay their tuition bills through this unique initiative.

Along the way, Byrd learned to play the fiddle, and carried it with him everywhere he went. He played in churches, homes, and hamlets throughout Southern West Virginia. As he grew older, he made his fiddle case his briefcase. His skill with the instrument led to performances at the Kennedy Center and on national television. Byrd even recorded his own album, Mountain Fiddler.

If his West Virginia values define Senator Byrd, then the Constitution of the United States gives him a foundation to fight for liberty and freedom. Always close to his heart, the Constitution guides Byrd. Its words and wisdom serve as the foundation for his fierce defense of principle and of the people’s liberties. It does not matter from where the danger comes. If the people’s freedoms are jeopardized, if the Constitution’s delicate balance is threatened, one will find Senator Robert Byrd leading its defense.

From his humble beginnings to the halls of power, Robert Byrd has never forgotten where he came from or where he is going. He is a statesman, a patriot, a defender of the Constitution, a proud son of West Virginia, and one of the most important leaders in America.

Senator Byrd has been blessed with a loving family, including two daughters, Mrs. Mohammad (Mona Byrd) Fatemi and Mrs. Jon (Marjorie Byrd) Moore; six grandchildren -- Erik, Darius, and Fredrik Fatemi; Michael Moore (deceased), Mona Byrd Moore Pearson, and Mary Anne Moore Clarkson; five great-granddaughters: Caroline Byrd Fatemi; Kathryn James Fatemi, and Anna Cristina Honora Fatemi; Emma James Clarkson and Hannah Byrd Clarkson; and one great-grandson, Michael Yoo Fatemi.