U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd announced today that he will step down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee as of Jan. 6. First elected to the Senate in 1958, Byrd is the longest-serving senator in American history. He chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee, which doles out projects across the country, for 10 years.
In a news release, Byrd said he decided to step down "only after much personal soul searching, and after being sure of the substantial Democratic pickup of seats in the Senate. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., announced today that he will step down as Appropriations Committee chairman. "I am now confident that stepping aside as chairman will not adversely impact my home state of West Virginia," he said.
Over the years, Byrd played a critical role in sending money back to the Mountain State -- more than $1 billion since 1995. That money funded university medical centers, paved highways, expanded airports and built dams to control floods. Dozens of projects around the state bear his name because of the money he helped get to build them. |