Reactions pour in after death of Sen. Byrd

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said:

It is with deep sadness that Elaine and I note the passing of a legendary Senate colleague, Senator Robert C. Byrd. Sen. Byrd combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate. We will remember him for his fighter’s spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes. Generations of Americans will read the masterful history of the Senate he leaves behind, and they will also read about the remarkable life of Robert Carlyle Byrd. We are glad to know that Senator Byrd and his beloved Erma are reunited. We extend our deepest sympathies to the entire Byrd family.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on ABC's "Good Morning America":

He was a senator's senator. He was a keeper of our tradition, a keeper of our rules -- the kind of senator who always kept his word.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said on NBC's "Today" show:

We're saddened by his passing. We new the time was drawing nigh, but Sen. Byrd was the keeper of the flame here in the Senate. He believed in the Senate as an institution, he believed in the constitutional role of the Senate -- not to be a rubber stamp for the president. And he believed fiercely in his state and his constituents there. We will miss him, and I think the Senate has lost a great champion.

Cornyn added in a formal statement:

Robert Byrd was the keeper of the flame in the Senate. He believed deeply in the Senate as an institution and in its Constitutional role. Sen. Byrd was a tireless public servant who believed fiercely in his state and his constituents. He was clearly beloved by his fellow West Virginians, who re-elected him nine times, making him the Senate’s longest serving member in history. The Senate has lost a great champion, he will be missed greatly. My thoughts and prayers are with Robert and his family at this time

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on ABC's "Good Morning America":

He was a great patriot. He loved the Senate -- there's no doubt about it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement: 

Robert Byrd’s was one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen.  From his graduation as valedictorian of his high school class at the age of 16 to his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee until the age of 91, he mastered everything he touched with great thoughtfulness and skill.  Throughout more than half a century of service in this body, and six more in the House, Senator Byrd never stopped fighting for the people of West Virginia and for Democratic principles.  My thoughts, and those of the entire United States Senate, are with the Byrd family. 

Robert Byrd was a Member of this nation’s Congress for more than a quarter of the time it has existed, and longer than a quarter of today’s sitting Senators and the President of the United States have been alive.  The nine times the people of his state sent him to the Senate and the more than 18,500 votes he cast in its chamber will never be matched.  His political career spanned a dozen presidencies and countless American advances and achievements.  And throughout one of the longest political careers in history, no one ever defeated Robert Byrd in a single election.

The people of West Virginia have lost a dedicated public servant, and America has lost a great defender of its most precious traditions.  He was the foremost guardian of the Senate’s complex rules, procedures and customs, and as leader of both the majority and the minority caucuses in the Senate he knew better than most that legislation is the art of compromise.

By virtue of his endurance, Robert Byrd knew and worked with many of the greats of the United States Senate. Because of his enduring virtue, he will be remembered as one of them.  Senator Byrd dedicated every single day of his Senate service to strengthening the institution, state and republic that he loved so dearly.  There will never be another like him.

The second-ranking Senate Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said in a statement:

Senator Byrd carried a copy of our Constitution close to his heart every day. It was a constant reminder of his life's mission to honor the values which gave us this great nation.

No one in the history of the Senate could match Byrd's thunderous oratory; his sense of history; his determination to teach every President the limits of his power and his lifelong passion to fight for West Virginia.

Daniel Webster, set another chair at Heaven's table, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia has arrived.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said in a statement: 

I mourn the loss of a dear friend, colleague and a genuine American statesman who loved his country and the great institution of the United States Senate and served them both with honor. Day after day, Senator Byrd held forth on the floor of the Senate not just on the issues of the moment, but by providing an institutional and historical context for our deliberations. He was not just the President pro tempore of the Senate, he was also the Guardian of the Senate and our connection with the ‘mystic cords of memory.’  His  distinctive voice elevated our contemporary debates and tied our work to the history of humankind.  His knowledge of the Bible and of the classics  was extraordinary and moving.  Hadassah and I extend our condolences and prayers to Senator Byrd's family and to the people of West Virginia who were his larger family. I am grateful to have served with such a great man in the United States Senate and to have learned so much from him.

Former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) said in a statement:

Senator Byrd was a self-made man, and his knowledge of the Senate’s rules combined with his commitment to what he believed made him one of the great senators of the age.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement: 

Senator Robert Byrd's extraordinary life has been shaped by service to his state, love of his country, and commitment to the common good. Throughout his historic career in the House and Senate, he never stopped working to improve the lives of the people of West Virginia. While some simply bore witness to history, Senator Byrd shaped it - and strove to build a brighter future for us all.

His story was the true embodiment of the American dream. An orphan at a young age, Senator Byrd refused to allow his circumstances to limit the reach of his potential, his ability, or his drive to succeed. He educated himself, worked as a butcher and a welder, and sought political office to give back to his community and his neighbors. In doing so, he would ultimately make America a better place for every American.

Senator Byrd took pride in his status as Congress' foremost scholar on the Constitution, on the Senate, and on the institutions of our democracy. He never hesitated to speak truth to power. He was a voice of reason during times of war and economic hardship. He was always a gentleman, capable of charming any friend or foe. And he always stood on principle, even when others did not.

Senator Byrd has gone home to be with his beloved Erma Mae. We hope it is a comfort to the Byrd family that so many join them in grieving their loss at this sad time." 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in a statement: 

Today we mourn the death of Senator Robert Byrd, the longest-serving Member of Congress in our nation’s history. Through a career that spanned 11 administrations, Senator Byrd distinguished himself with his self-taught erudition, his legislative work ethic, and his passionate advocacy for the people of West Virginia. He was a champion of the Constitution, the legislative branch, and his state. And despite the influence he accumulated over his long career, he never missed a chance for a kind gesture. He was one of the first to call with his condolences when my dog, Charlotte, died, and so many of us in Washington and West Virginia have similar stories of Senator Byrd’s courtesy. He will be deeply missed.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said in a statement: 

Senator Byrd was a towering figure in the Senate for decades.  A tireless advocate for the people of West Virginia, he was a loyal friend and a fierce adversary who reached the highest echelons of government from the humblest of beginnings.  On the issues, we were frequent opponents, but he was always gracious both in victory and defeat.  This is a man who earned his law degree while serving in the Senate, and who had a prodigious knowledge of ancient and modern history.  Outside of Senator Jim Allen of Alabama, Senator Byrd had no peer with regards to Senate procedure and history.  Elaine and I send our thoughts and prayers to his entire family during these difficult times.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said in a statement: 

Today, our entire nation, the people of West Virginia, and the United States Senate mourn the loss of a giant of public service – a distinguished, iconic legislator whose life and legacy will forever be synonymous with the greatest deliberative body the world has ever known. 

The longest-serving member of Congress and a former Majority and Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Byrd was time and again the conscience and champion of Congress and a vigorous and stalwart sentinel of the first branch of our government.  A self-educated man, Senator Byrd’s knowledge of Shakespeare, the Holy Bible, and the pillars of thought from Ancient Greece and Rome formed the basis of an eloquence and service that will reverberate not only in the hallowed halls of Congress, but also throughout his beloved West Virginia – which he served so passionately – for generations to come. 

Protector, steward, and advocate – these descriptions only begin to express Senator Byrd’s lifelong devotion to the Senate in which he served for a record 51 years, and his unshakable dedication to the U.S. Constitution – a pocket-sized copy of which he carried at all times.  In fact, I’ll never forget as a member of the "Gang of 14," which was forged at a time when the very institution of the Senate was caught in the cross hairs of a struggle over judicial nominations, that each of us received a copy of the U.S. Constitution from Senator Byrd. With one symbolic gesture as only he could, Senator Byrd spoke volumes about the historic imperative that was ours to seize if we were to jettison the partisanship that threatened our chamber. The Senate will not be the same without Senator Byrd, and he will truly be missed.

Stay tuned for more reactions throughout the day.

Jordan Fabian contributed to this post.