Members of Congress / Robert Byrd
Biographical InformationBYRD, Robert Carlyle, a Representative and a Senator from West Virginia; born in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, N.C., November 20, 1917; attended West Virginia public schools; student at Beckley College, Concord College, Morris Harvey College, and Marshall College, all in West Virginia, and George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.; graduated, American University Law School 1963; received Bachelor’s degree in political science from Marshall University 1994; member of the West Virginia house of delegates 1947-1950; member of the West Virginia senate 1951-1952, resigning when elected to Congress; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-third, Eighty-fourth, and Eighty-fifth Congresses (January 3, 1953-January 3, 1959); elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1958 for the term commencing January 3, 1959; reelected in 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, and again in 2006 for the term ending January 3, 2013; Secretary, Senate Democratic Conference 1967-1971; Democratic whip 1971-1977; Majority Leader 1977-1980, 1987-1988; Minority Leader 1981-1986; President pro tempore (1989-1995, June 6, 2001-January 3, 2003, 2007-); chair, Committee on Appropriations (One Hundred First through One Hundred Third Congresses; One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 3-20, 2001; June 6, 2001-January 3, 2003]; One Hundred Tenth Congress); grandfather of Erik, Darius, and Frederik Fatemi, Michael (deceased), Mona, and Mary Anne Moore; great-grandfather of Caroline Byrd Fatemi, Kathryn James Fatemi, Anna Cristina Fatemi and Michael Yoo Fatemi, Emma James Clarkson and Hannah Byrd Clarkson. (Source.) More coverage of Robert Byrd on washingtonpost.com Roles in Congress
· 110th Congress: Senator, West Virginia, Democratic.
Jan. 4, 2007, to Jan. 3, 2011. Key VotesSee how Robert Byrd voted on key votes -- the most important bills, nominations and resolutions that have come before Congress, as determined by washingtonpost.com. Missed VotesRobert Byrd has missed 65 votes (10.4%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers. Voting with PartyRobert Byrd has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 89.3% of the time during the current Congress. This percentage does not include votes in which Byrd did not vote. See a list of his votes against his party since 1991, a list of all Senators in the 110th Congress with a similar score, or a full list of party voters. |
State InformationWest Virginia demographic profile (2000 Census) Financial DisclosureView Robert Byrd's official financial disclosure statements, which describe the sources, types and amounts of income earned in a given year. (See more disclosure reports.) |
Latest Votes
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| Date | Vote | Position | GOP opinion | DEM opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote 183: On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3268; Stop Excessive Energy Speculation Act of 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 182: H R 5501: H.R. 5501 As Amended; Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 181: S 2731: DeMint Amdt. No. 5077; To reduce to $35,000,000,000 the amount authorized to be appropriated to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in developing countries during the next 5 years. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 180: S 2731: Kyl Amdt. No. 5082; To limit the period during which appropriations may be made to carry out this Act and to create a point of order in the Senate against any appropriation to carry out this Act that exceeds the amount authorized for fiscal year 2013. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 179: S 2731: Gregg Amdt. No. 5081; To strike the provision requiring the development of coordinated oversight plans and to establish an independent Inspector General at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 178: S 2731: Cornyn Amdt. No. 5083; To establish a bipartisan commission for the purpose of improving oversight and eliminating wasteful government spending under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 177: H R 6331: Shall H.R. 6331 Pass, the objections of the President of the United States to the contrary notwithstanding?; Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 176: S 2731: Bunning Amdt. No. 5073; In the nature of a substitute. | No | No | No | |
| Vote 175: S 2731: Motion to Table DeMint Amdt. No. 5068; To limit the countries to which Federal financial assistance may be targeted under this Act. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 174: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider S. 2731; Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 173: On the Motion: Motion to Disagree to the Amdts. of the House, Adding a New Title and Inserting a New Section, to the Amdt. of the Senate to H.R. 3221; Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 172: On the Nomination: Confirmation Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USA, to be General | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 171: On the Nomination: Confirmation Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, to be General | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 170: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Disagree to the Amdts. of the House, Adding a New Title and Inserting a New Section, to the Amdt. of the Senate to H.R. 3221; Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 169: On the Cloture Motion: Upon Reconsideration, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R. 6331; Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 168: H R 6304: H.R. 6304; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 167: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R. 6304; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 166: H R 6304: Bingaman Amdt. No. 5066; To stay pending cases against certain telecommunications companies and provide that such companies may not seek retroactive immunity until 90 days after the date the final report of the Inspectors General on the President's Surveillance Program is submitted to Congress. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 165: H R 6304: Specter Amdt. No. 5059; To limit retroactive immunity for providing assistance to the United States to instances in which a Federal court determines the assistance was provided in connection with an intelligence activity that was constitutional. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 164: H R 6304: Dodd Amdt. No. 5064; To strike title II. | Yes | No | Yes |
Full list of votes by Robert Byrd
