we increase by about 100,000 jobs a game. it is very much the same. the six months before that, we were losing about 275,000 jobs per month for the second half of 2009. >> is this a labor market in free fall, or would you characterize it as one with early stages of prior economic recoveries? >> i would say this is consistent with the recoveries in the last two recessions. >> do you see anything in this information that is a potential pitfall or problem we could see in the future? >> no. just that we are at a point, as in past recessions, where we have some job growth but it is not strong job growth. it is not sustained yet. i would say the biggest risk is probably a higher risk until we start to get the strong job

growth -- a higher risk of things not improving quickly. >> thank you very much. mr. brady. >> this recovery certainly is not consistent with the recovery of '81 and '82, where job growth and unemployment was three times better than the obama recovery. i will take comfort in telling our workers and small businesses in the gulf coast, who will lose their jobs and are losing their jobs and losing their businesses, due to the drilling moratorium, that they are "a small price to pay" for this over reactionary and politically advantageous policy-making here in washington. what is frustrating, i think, is that this democrat congress has had control over mms, that oversees the gulf, for three years. they have done nothing to reform it. the obama administration themselves approved british petroleum's operational waivers on the well. the approved the cleanup plans which have turned out to be awful. they have failed to support our gulf coast governors and local communities in protecting the marshes and beaches, that is why you see them on tv every day pleading for help. now i try to reinstate a

drilling moratorium, they are intent on turning an environmental cctastrophe into an economic catastrophe. i am not just talking about 50,000 direct jobs which will be lost, or the $2 billion in wages that will be taken from the economy. i am talking about thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that simply will not survive. what is frustrating is that 24 lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have sent a letter to secretary salazar, recommending a path forward that would protect the safety and security of the golf and allow exploration to go forward on the development and appraisal wells in the gulf that pose almost no risk at all, a proposal that would save 95% of jobs, avoid an energy supply problem in 2011-2012. we are just hopeful that maybe the small price to pay folks who are going to suffer can get some relief on this white house. maybe congress could delay their unemployment checks as well. jobless claims were up again

last week. construction is stalled. no industry, as you said a moment ago -- none of the job growth is statistically significant. now there are worries from europe. there are concerns about manufacturing slowdowns in china and throughout the world. that is keeping consumers at bay. the saving rate continues to go up. people are banking their money rather than buying something. i am looking for optimistic signs in these numbers, anddthe sooner we get this recovery going the better. but i just do not see what i think we are all hoping for. we need at least 250,000 private sector -- not government workers, private-

sector workers -- each month. that is just to start working off the unemployment rate in a sustainable rate. >> that would be a strong, sustained growth. >> lowering the unemployment rate not by workers giving up, which is what happened this month, but by workers going back to work. we need at least twice the job growth rate in the private sector that we got this month. is that correct? >> to make a strong move downward in the unemployment rate, we need something like that. >> that is what we should be shooting for in all our policies appear, adding at least 250,000 private-sector jobs to the peril so we can get this unemployment down and people can get some hope back again, consumer confidence can rise, and companies will again not be so fearful of washington, energy

prices, new taxes, and the regulation. they will make those critical business investment decisions. thank you, commissioner. >> and thank you very much, madame chair. the chairlady was asking you a few minutes ago about medium- sized and small businesses. do you remember that? >> i do. >> in my district we just had the federal reserve, and talk to some small business folks a few weeks ago. the federal reserve was trying to get a feel for what problems they were experiencing. what we heard over and over again from the small business people was the had a problem with accessing capital. . .

>> you don't go to why certain things happen like that, do you? you don't go that far? you don't even draw conclusions, do you? >> no. >> if you don't have the money, it is kind of hard to do what you have to do. we have been pushing pretty hard to try to get these banks to do even more so that people can get the capital. one of the things that is interesting as i listen to you, i could not help but think about a few years ago when i was learning to ride a bike, remember, the chain had to catch.

if the chain did not catch, you're not going anywhere fast. it sounds like we got here is things moving in the right direction, but there needs to be some kind of catch, a push to get us moving even faster. but once that happens, i am listening to what you're saying. we might see that motion that sends us into another level of progress. in the past, has that been the case? you were talking about how this could be 2003, six months, you see 100,000 jobs each month? what have you seen in the past with regard to getting beyond that six months? is there anything different

about this recession, a situation which would cause you to have less optimism or more pessimism? >> it is true that in the past couple of recessions, there was at some point, it became sustained. the biggest concern i would have going forward is that this has been a very severe recession. ideally, we have even stronger job growth the last couple of recessions to recover from those jobs, and it is going to take a while to recover those jobs. we do need a stronger job growth than we have had the last couple of expansions to get back

the jobs. >> those other recessions, were they associated with anything like the problems that we have had with regard to wall street? >> both of those recessions were mild recessions and relatively short recession. this is neither mild nor short. >> i will repeat what i said. president obama came into this situation having to put a patient in intensive care, not just critical care, but intensive care. it is taking awhile to get out of that. it is a slow process. we would like to get better quicker. the fact remains, for every person out there, -- when i go

back to my district, there'll be people that say, i am looking for a job. we're looking in the right direction. i want to make it even faster. >> i agree with my good friend and colleague that what we want in this country is robust private sector job creation. i believe that trying to create 300,000 private sector jobs a month is a very daunting job given the fact that the former president, president bush, created roughly that much during his entire eight years in office. for the fourth of july, red white and blue, we were losing over 779,000 jobs a month. it takes a long time to recover, but we are trending in the

right direction. we are digging ourselves out of this deep valley. i would like to ask you a few questions on reports that the commission produced and the impact on them -- we found that african-americans have been disproportionately hurt by long- term unemployment. have you seen any recent signs that the uration of unemployment is shortening for african-americans? >> no, i haven't. >> and in a may report that we issued for working mothers, one out of three working mothers was the sole breadwinner for her family. you noted in your last implement hearing that it is women with children who lost their jobs

during this recession. i am concerned how they are fearing. how did they fare during the june numbers? >> i don't have that data really handy. we don't have that data yet. i would be happy to follow up for the june numbers. it lags. >> in an airport, the joint economic committee issued on the younger workers, we found that these workers were experiencing the highest unemployment in history for younger workers. did things get any better for younger workers? >> not significantly, no. >> we also released a report on the impact of recession on hispanic workers. the report concluded that the

driver of unemployment and geography, latino workers were over represented among construction employment. going into the downturn, you're more likely to live in regions that were hit hard by the housing burst and housing bubble states such as nevada, arizona, florida, california. what has happened to construction employment in the first half of 2010? is it experiencing job gains at the same rate as some of the other sectors? >> no, we have been losing about 20,000 jobs a month in construction still. >> d.c. any evidence that this will expand in the near future and will reach the levels seen before the housing market collapsed? >> no, i think that obviously, the thing you want to see first is a pickup in new-home

construction. we haven't yet seen a big pickup in that. hysterically, it takes a while once the housing starts start to pick up. there are not good signs on that yet. >> with the latino community, we felt we need to provide looking at policies, not only with skills, but with the ability to move to areas where the economy is better, particularly in the construction trade. we have been working on trying to improve that. my time has expired. >> i hate being outnumbered on this committee. it makes for a tough friday morning. i do think president bush apologize for the united states losing its soccer game the other day. chicago not winning the olympics

bid, avatar not winning the best motion picture of the year, and democrats not passing unemployment benefits for those who are out of work. let's talk about that because it has a real impact on our economy. it is skyrocketing. $1.50 trillion, independent congressional budget office tells a terrifying tale. we have had economists before us telling us that when that reaches a certain level, it creates a very strong drag on the economy, we are at 83% of gdp for all that. 62% in the publicly held debt. it will skyrocket over the next

decade, and that puts us already, right now, we are below greece, italy, and portugal. but other european countries that are in trouble, and budget deficit, we trail only greece and ireland. we're almost at 10%. this debt will increase as far as the eye can see. the only thing being considered at this point are increasing taxes on families, small businesses, capital dividends, and on companies that are trying to sell around the globe. commissioner, that creates higher interest payments for a budget, puts a strain on their. it puts a strain on companies' borrowing as well. it tends to drag down the

economy. at what point -- can you estimate how much our economy is hurting as a result of the debt that we are accumulating, what that would do to our economy? >> that is not my garden. i am focused on the labour market. >> you are a wise man. can we talk a little about where you see trends going? construction has stalled for several months now, manufacturing has been stalled as well. a few jobs we did see did seem to be in services, temporary services. a small amount in recreation and tourism. are there any significant trends in the numbers this month that

we can be looking to? >> i don't want to speculate too much going for, but the truth we have already seen is the one we have mentioned, we have had job growth and manufacturing, it continues to have jobs and education and health services. those of been the real trends pretty much all this year. >> my good friend and colleague, you mentioned a deficit that is a concern that we have. the federal budget deficit was $941 billion through the first eight months of the fiscal year 2010. $51 billion less than the record shortfall recorded over the same time last year. both revenues and outlays are down. the debt is now -- we do have a

strong debt. the total debt for the federal government was $13 trillion. the federal government paid roughly $152 billion, 1% of gdp. we're not in comparison with greece. we need to focus on it. but to compare our economy at this point with others is factually inaccurate. and now, mr. cummings is recognized for five minutes. >> the health-care industry, i think he said that they have increased jobs? has that been a steady situation? one of the things that have been trying to encourage, many of my constituents, to look towards those fields that seem to be on the upward trend and seem to be

providing jobs and a steady way. the reports are that a lot of companies now are doing more with less, and therefore, will not be replacing people in the same job. people have to be retrained. if there are people that are looking at this right now, if there are areas where you see a trend with regard to jobs either increasing or not losing, seeming to have a steady stability or growth, what would those areas be? >> of the area that most jumps out is, in fact, health care. they have steadily added jobs throughout the whole recession. that is a remarkable thing when you consider how many jobs we are losing while there are

growing. going forward, the demographics of the american population are going to encourage job growth in health-care industry. >> when you look at the health- care industry, is there a break down? is it general health care? is it to various types of health care? is this health care in general? >> we have some breakdowns in the various categories. >> can you give me an idea of what some of them might be? in other words, i want people watching this to be able to get an idea of what might be -- we have some people who have been out of jobs for a long time and they are trying to figure out where they go from here. possibly going to community college or going back for some type of training. i want to give them some sense of hope. we have heard a lot of fear from mr. brady this morning, but i want to give some hope.

>> it includes offices of physicians, home health-care services, that sector added about 7400 jobs this month. that was a major part of the job growth in health care this month. hospitals have been losing jobs this past month, there is also nursing and residential care facilities that have been adding jobs. social assistance is often worked in the health care as well. that has continued to add jobs. >> are there any other areas that might fall into that category, staying steady or increasing jobs? >> one of the things -- i don't

have the numbers in my mind very quickly, but we produced some long-term forecasts on occupations and industry growth. we have just released some last year and really give you an idea in great detail about the industry's we would expect three replacement or just growing industries. there are a number of areas, mostly services industries. service providing industries have quite a bit of promise. >> in the tourism industry and restaurants, how are they doing? >> they are doing ok. they have gone up and down, they don't have a really clear pattern. we did it had -- or we did have growth this month, and i think i have a break down. >> the reason that i mentioned it is because it might show some confidence on the part of

consumers if they are doing things that they might otherwise it was so concerned about finances that they probably would not -- i am trying to figure out -- >> that makes logical sense. i have kind of looked at that and i have not seen a really clear pattern. it doesn't seem to reflect so well consumer confidence like you think it might. >> if the president called do after we are finished here and said, what's your summary, what would you say? >> i would say that this is not a strong report. but the prior six months have been encouraging. we did have a drop in the unemployment rate, we did have some job growth, and the past six months have had some job growth. >> thank you very much,

commissioner paul and a staff for being here today. i think my colleagues. the last six months, the data clearly shows that the labor markets have begun to turn around and is trending in the right direction. without a doubt, job creation will be at the top of our to do list. it will remain there until americans across america are back to work. i would like to wish everyone a safe and happy independence day. thank you very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> president obama talked about the latest unemployment figures as he was leaving for the memorial service for senator

robert byrd. he says the economy is headed in the right direction, but not fast enough to satisfy him or many americans. his remarks are about five minutes. >> the morning, everybody. before i depart, i like to say a quick word about the state of our economy. this morning, we received the june employment report that reflected the planned phase-out of 225,000 temporary census jobs, but it also showed the sixth straight month of job growth in the private sector. all told, our economy has

created nearly six and a thousand private-sector jobs this year. that is a stark turnaround from the first six months of last year when we lost 3.7 million jobs at the height of the recession. make no mistake, we are headed in the right direction. as i was reminded on a trip to wisconsin earlier this week, we're not had their fast enough for a lot of americans. we're not had their fast enough for me either. the recession does a whole of about 8 million jobs deep, and we continue to find headwind from volatile global markets. we still have a great deal of work to do to repair the economy and get the american people back to work. that is why we are continuing a relentless effort across multiple fronts to keep this recovery moving. i would like to make a quick announcement regarding new infrastructure investments under the recovery act. investments that will create private sector jobs and make

america more competitive. the secretaries have joined here today to announce that the departments of commerce and agriculture will invest in 66 new projects across america and will finally bring unreliable, broadband internet services to communities that currently have little or no access. in the short term, we expect these projects to create about 5000 construction and installation jobs around the country. once we emerge from the immediate crisis, the long-term economic gains will be a measurable. all told, these investments will benefit tens of millions of americans. more than 685,000 businesses, 900 health care facilities, and 2400 schools around the country. the studies have shown that when communities adopt a broad band access, it can lead to hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

broadband can remove the geographic barriers between patients and their doctors. it can correct our kids to the digital skills of twenty first century education for the jobs of the future, and can prepare america to run on clean energy by helping us upgrade to smarter, stronger, more secure a electrical grids. we are investing in our people and in our future. we are competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries, the markets of tomorrow take root right here in the united states. we are moving forward, and to every american who is looking for work, i promise you we're going to keep on doing everything that we can. i will do everything in my power to help our economy create jobs and opportunities for all people. sunday is the fourth of july, and if that date reminds us of anything, is that america has never backed down from a challenge. we face our share of tough times

before, but in such moments, we don't flinch. we dig deeper, we innovate, we compete, and we win. it is in our dna, and it is what will bring us through these tough times toward a brighter day. i want to say happy fourth of july to everybody, i want our troops overseas to know that we're thinking of your bravery and grateful for your service. thank you very much, everybody. >> next, president obama and vice president biden speak at a memorial service for senator robert byrd. then, members of the joint economic committee get the

unemployment numbers for june. that is followed by president obama's remarks on the economy. tomorrow on "washington journal," reuters economic correspondent and only kaiser talks about the june unemployment -- and only -- emily kaiser talks about the june unemployment numbers. david kramer offers his insight on the 10 people arrested suspected of being undercover agents. and john hall from the for the center for fiscal and economic policy discusses how for that is dealing with a $6 billion budget shortfall. >> live on book tv's in depth, the former education secretary and the first drug czar.

i join the discussion on american history, education, and politics. three hours with bill bennett on sunday. get the whole schedule at but tv got -- booktv.org. >> now, the memorial service for senator robert byrd, the longest serving member of congress in history. this takes place at the steps of the state capital in charleston, west virginia. we hear from president obama, vice president biden, house and senate leaders, and others. ♪

[bells ringing]

[bells ringing] [bells ringing]

[bells ringing] [bells ringing]

[background sounds]

[background sounds] >> we invite you to join us as we recite the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. and for the republic, for which

it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> would you please remain standing for the national anthem? ♪

♪ . [applause] [applause]

[applause] >> let us pray. oh holy one loving god, we cry out to you today in our sadness and loss, our mountains of wheat today, and our rivers run salty with the tears. our center, our advocate, our brother and our friend has left us to be with, and with you. but through our tears we smile as this beautiful day smiles upon the grieving mountains and rivers.

and the people of west virginia. we need not tell you his story as we pray, you know the story. it is your story. you are its author, it's beginning, and its ending. we simply thank you for the gift of robert byrd who love you with all his heart and mind and soul and strength. and who loved his neighbors as himself. his neighbors were the people of west virginia. his fellow senators. and the people of the world. the neighbors that he loved were all the people of every race and language and station in life. we know that beneath the

constitution, in his pocket, over his heart, within his heart was your word. in which he believed and which he obeid. which enabled him to change his mind is to change his heart and to learn and grow from the moment of his birth until the day of his death. so we pray. receive our thanksgiving and comfort our wounded hearts as we thank you for the life and the gift of our center and our friend. in your only name we pray, a man. -- your holy name we pray, amen.

>> i would like to welcome you all to this historic service. it is my honor to welcome the president of the united states of america, barack obama. [applause] the vice president of the united states of america, joe biden.

[applause] president bill clinton. [applause] senate majority leader harry reid. [applause] senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell. and speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. and our great senator, jay rockefeller.

[applause] the west virginia congressional delegation and many of their fellow members of congress, thank you so much. members of the west virginia board of public works, the west virginia state legislature, the west virginia supreme court, judges, various local and county officials, and everyone here today and watching, while we mourn the loss of our son of west virginia, we come together today to celebrate their standing life of a man the likes of whom we shall never see again. ive books that senator byrd authored he said, we must study the great figures of our history and carry them forward in our iginations as living, breathing presences.

we can in effect consult on vital issues of the day. without question, senator robert c byrd is a pillar in our nation's history. his leadership, and influence have stretched well beyond the borders of our mountain state. my first memory of senator byrd was as a young boy working in the back of my grandfather's grocery store in the small coal mining town of farmington, west virginia, and hearing scripture of the bible being quoted from great or atores. my grandfather, papa joe, and robert c. byrd. both held the same great okaytation. -- occupation. they were both butchers in grocery stores. they were discussing bible and business with great fervor. i still remember today, my personal memory of meeting the senator is no different than so many west virginians. meeting senator robert c. byrd in every small nook and cranny of this great state.

. . >> fifty-seven years of service congress. [applause] >> it would be impossible to stand here and recite all that our beloved senator did for you and me. from highways and hospitals to schools and technology, centers,

there are more than 50 projects in west virginia that bear his name, or that of his beloved fe. and we were numbered senator byrd for the strong family man that he was. the love of his life, erma, and their two daughters, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren provided unconditional support. we will remember senator byrd for the devoted public servant that he was, for the thousands of jobs he created, for his efforts to protect our veterans, and provide health care to rural areas. we will remember his commitment to transforming our economy. we will remember his ongoing quest to provide our youth with the opportunity to learn, to work and to succeed. we will remember his steadfast leadership, his wisdom, his reason, his compassion, his strong voice and enthusiasm. but more importantly, we will remember his in eight quality,

honest, integrity, loyalty, and intense respect for democracy and his unwavering lov fo the people and the state of west virginia. [applause] >> and we will ever forget his deeply rooted spiritual conviction and his utmost respect for our founding fathers. the senator truly epitomizes the spirit of west virginia. he wore that mountain state spirit on his sleeve, and never forgot where that journey in history began. back in wolf creek hollow in west virginia. [applause] >> nor did he ever forget the hard-working salt of the earth people of west virinia who, he loved as if they were his extended family. when he launched a career in

public service some 60 plus years ago, our state was a lank canvas, untouched by the colors of the modern way of life. senator byrd brought a blank canvas to like using broad architect and optimism, and a can-do spirit that resonated throughout the hills of west virginia. in fact, when his political career was in its beginning stages, there were only four miles a divided highway in our state. and senator byrd made it his mission to transform those their lands. he was a true champion. a man of his word, and a true patriot and guardian of the united states constitution. senator byrd was looked up to buy all of congress, and often referred to as the conscience of the senate. a long list of colleagues have sang his praises, and here are just a few. senator bob dole said, he has

set the standard as a senator, as a legislative leader, and as a statesman that will stand among the best, as long as there is a senate. [applause] >> and his eloved, dear friend ted kennedy, senator ted kennedy said, that he personified what our founding fathers were thinking of wen they were thinking about a united states senate. [applause] >> he has been called a patriot and warrior of the united states constitution. however, the best way that i can describe the senator is as the architect of appalachia. he is the most historic figure to ever call west virginia home, and will forever live in our hearts, and in those of our children. no one, no one can replace our senator. [applause]

>> no wind can fill his shoes, and we must never forget his tireless dedication as we humbly try to follow in his footsteps. senator byrd, you've told nd triumphed on behalf of your beloved mountain state, and now your time to rest has. your memory will live in our hearts forever. may god bless you and erma. may god bless the state of west virginia, and may god bless americ [applause] >> i'm senator mitch mcconnell from your neighboring state of kentucky, the republican leader the senate.

[applause] >> and i'm here today to represent all of the republican members of the united states senate, and pay tribute to your beloved senator, robert c. yrd. 10 years ago senator byrd honored me and the students at the university of louisville by making a trip to kentucky to share some of his wisdom about the senate. i regret to say it's taken me a decade to return the favor. but i do so with a ep sense of gratitude, not only for that particar kindness, but for ny others he showed me over the years, and for the many bible lessons i have larned and we learned from the life and example of robert c. byrd. while there's talk about his cyclopedic knowledge of history and literature, his corniness, his profound

reverence for the u.s. constitution, his oratory. it's all true. for about a quarter of the time our government has existed, senator byrd stood like a century and a three-piece suit watching over the legislative branch. but here in west virginia, one can't help but be reminded first and foremost of the challenges he overcame to achieve all this. it's one of the glories of our country that success isn't restricted to the connected or the wellborn. that anyone with an enough talent and drive to the heights and por and prestige. it's remarkable to think that the man who wrotee the gettysbug address was raised by a couple who couldn't even sign their names. and it's no less remarkable that the man we honor today, a man who held everyone of us,fell down with his knowledge and his command of history, couldn't even afford a pair of socks to

wear to sunday school as a boy. so here, in charleston, we are reminded tht the american promise reaches even into the remotest corners of hardin county, kentucky, and the winding dollars of raleigh county, west virginia. the glory of our nation is reaffirmed every time another man or woman overcomes what some call disadvantages. to achieve great things. and robert byrd may well be their patron saint. [applause] >> he was the ultimate self-made man, the high school valedictorian who couldn't afford to go to college but who could teach a room full of professors something new every day. you might say he was a walking argument for homeschooling. [laughter] >> he was the orphan who growth

in home without electricity or running water, but who spent his adult life getting back to his adopted state as much as his beloved adopted parents gave him. best of all, he was never embarrassed by the poverty of his youth. he wore it like a badge of honor, because he knew his dignity lay not in material possessions, but in being the child of a loving god, the husband of a devoted wife, a citizeof the united states of america, and a son of the mountain state. [applause] >> some people get elected to the senate with a hope of making it on the national stage. not robert byrd. as he once put it, when i am debt and i'm open, they will find west virginia written on my heart.

[applause] >> he made it all look easy, but it didn't come easy. i remember asking him once if it ever been to a football game. he said he had not. and then he corrected himself, he had actually gone to a game wants. but only the halftime show, and even then he left halfway before it was over. [laughter] >> he was making better use of his time than we were, learning the lessons of history, expanding his views, always learning. quoting one of the seven wise men of greece, he would say i grow old in the pursuit of learning. he was t only person i ever knew who had no interest in leisure, whatsoever. no ball game ever change the course of history, he said. the fact is, he was engaged in a different contest. not for a perishable crown, but foreign imperishable one. and in the end, he could say

with paul that he had run the race as if to win. we are consoled by the thought that this man who believed, even in the twilight of his life, that the prayers his mother had always followed him, has reachd his father's house, and that robert carlyle byrd has heard those words he always longed to hear, well done, good and faithful servant, share your master is a joy. -- masters joy. [alause] >> governor manchin, president obama, vice president biden,

president clinton, colleagues of senator byrd in the senate and in the house, and in his beloved state of west virginia, mona and marjorie and the family of senator byrd, his extended family, staff members of senator byrd, and all of you wo admired and loved senator byrd, i am vicki kennedy, and i'm honored to be here and humbled to speak for someone else who treasured the man we mourn and celebrate today. a giant in the history of the senate -- [applause] -- and a giant in the history of west virginia. for whom the smallest corner of this state could be the greatest of causes. my husband wrote of robert byrd vast knowledge and experience, his remarkable insight and wisdom, but he was forecaddie, so much more than that.

briefly foes, they became the bestf friends. coming from very different places, across the years, they came together to keep america's promise. robert byrd moved with our country, and he moved our country forward. from the ceaseless fight for economic justice to thelong struggle for health care, where, from t floor of the united states senate last christmas eve, he raised his arm and his voice to cast the deciding vote. i was in the gallery, and tears flowed down my cheeks when he said, mr. president, this is for my friend, ted kennedy. aye.

[applause] >> and, yes, as the years passed, they were together, to, in the quest for civil rights and equal rights. his friend, teddy, had no patience for those who focus on a distant past instead of the robert byrd who, day after day at the center of our democracy, was giving heart, hhnd and his peerless parliamentary command to help those left behind, and to advance our highest hopes for the future. on the floor of the senate in 2007, senator byrd defiantly exclaimed, people do get older, even, dare i say it, old. but with his indomitable will, the power of his eloquence proved a new that youth is not a time of life, but a state of mind. it was in the eighth decade of

his life, and the fifth decade of his service in the legislative branch that he foresaw the folly of invading iraq, and spoke for conscience and constitution against the tides of onrushing war. [applause] >> oh, oh, yes, he was like a prophet of old. and not just here, but always, robert byrd good for the constitution, and for the integrity and authority of the senate. teddy, who shared his love of history, thought of him as a dern incarnatn of ancient virtue, a roman of west virginia. [applause] >> to the citizens of the state he lov, there is another epitaph incentives ago that surely applies to him. if you seek his monument, look

all around you. did not only changed the landscape in smany lives here, he touched souls, and people knew without being told, that he was on their side. i saw this as teddy and i campaigned across west virginia with senator byrd during the 2004 presidential contest. we crisscrossed the state in a huge bus. he was an incredile force, quoting scripture, striding the back of a flatbed trucks, spellbinding his audiences. teddy told me, we were watching a master. which was high praise indeed from someone who was a master campaigner himself. i'm not sure robert byrd would have put it this way, but he was a rock star. [laughter] [applause]

>> finally, to all of you, to the family and friends who have lost him now, and love him as before, let me share what i have learned. the sorrow will be there. returning each day, often randomly and quickened by little things, but you will be sustained by the priceless grace of memories and the gifts of faith. and so it was with robert byrd, as he looked forward to being reunited, as he is now, with this precious erma. he made history that few others in the senate chamber ever have. he lifted up countless lives, as few senators from any state ever have. soone will take robert byrd's seat, but no one will ever fill his place. pplause]

>> today as west virginia, we mourn the incredible loss of our friend and our protector, our senator, robert c. byrd. and yet today we also celebrate his remarkable life. is is not an easy balance for us. from the sothern mountains to the nortrn panhandle, we have shed so many tears at the learning of his passing. yet, we stand together as a people with warmth in our hearts knowing that his legacy will live on, and grateful that the nation pauses today to honor

him. senator byrd was in so many ways the embodiment of what is to be a west virginia. he made me and all of us so proud to be west virginia and. he took such a pure joy and for roche is unyielding pride, not just in the senate as an institution, but, frankly, in pulling the levers of power for west virginia and west virginia and, for people, for education, veteranseconomic opportunity. he reveled in the power that he had through the grace of his persistence, and the intensity of his focus. it was in his blood. it was his sacred cause.

robert c. byrd reached great heights because of the purity of his purpose. and the depth of his determination. every day i intimately witnessed that senator byrd never forgot where he came from, and he never let up. even when his heart was broken. first with the tragic death of his young grandson, and then i know part of it was lost forever when his beloved wife, erma, passed on. watching him hurt was deeply agonizing for me, and for all who love him.

we saw each other constantly, obviously, on the floor of the sena. i wish so much that there was something, just anything that i could do to try to ease his pain because it was so obvious. when senator byrd and i would see each other as we did obious it a lot on the floor of the senate, since erma's passing, sometimes he would take my hand ever so gently and press it and hold it against his cheek. he was talking less in hose days, but we were communicating. to sharon and ind all of west virginia, robert byrd was our family, yours, ours, all of

ours, all of those who are behind me. and it was his special touch that made us all shine. senator byrd, thank you. we will miss you. from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. and always, we will mourn you. [applause] >> reverend clergy, mr. president, mr. vice president, mona and marjorie,

senator byrd's family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his hard-working staff, members and colleagues of his from the senate, leaders of the senate, speaker of the house, members of the state legislature, you know, i just never thought he would die. just never really thought he would. though this date is not unexpected. it is unexpectedly difficult to stand here to say goodbye to senator robert c. byrd. our senator, our chairman, our mentor, our friend, our big daddy. [applause] >> he was -- he was so eloquent, so daunting to find

so every night, that it is daunting to find the words that can encompass the enormous the of the man and all that he has left behind. all the around us, senator byrd has left his legacy to this day, to the nation that he loved. we could talk about the bricks and mortar, the record set, both in west virginia, and national legislators, but senator byrd quite literally has paid our way to the future. he has paid a path to the future. but i believe it is the most lasting legacy will come from the example that he sat with his own life, with his own life. full of lessons for each of us to learn from and build upon. senator byrd never stop learning, and he never stopped working. despite the obstacles of which we all know it and the setbacks that would have to mobilize less determined individuals. he was a great reader. a great reader of what he called the greatest book of all, the

bible. of history's from ancient rome to the 20th century, the poetry, and believe you me, from memory. i heard it often, rather on his staff and driving them back and forth between washington and west virginia, are even as his congressman, driving them back and forth to west virginia. i heard such registrations very often. and, indeed, they kept meawake while i was driving the car. [laughter] >> i've always been working for senator byrd. for over 40 years, on his staff in the senate democratic cloakroom, and now to until the last few days as his congressman. when senator byrd had a problem, when he needed help on an issue, he would always call his congssman, and i would be there to help them in anyway i could. he loved beautiful words and he love to share thm. the congressional record and our public libraries are much richer for him.

nor bible no generic went unread by senator byrd. centerburg definitely put history to work ith more passion and power and promise than anyone in the republic's history. but while he relished history, he lived for the future. the picture of his great state and our great country. was unapologetic to critics of his efforts to bring federal programs and dollars to west virginia. to him, it was a labor of love. when robert c. byrd loved, he loved deeply and for all the days of his life. to senator byrd the constitution, yes, it was not a relic but rather a living, breathing soul of the republic. he was its greatest defender and its most compassionate promoter. it is fitting that this lover of history, the guarding of the cost of tuition, the son of the senate, is being memorialized even as a nation celebrates

indie pendant today. senator byrd may not have been a founding father, but this adopted son of a west virginia coal miner would have been right at home among them. yes, he could hobnob with kings and claims all over the world and prince and princesses, and he could scold president of the united states -- [laughter] [applause] -- but, you know, my friends, you know as well as i know where he was most comfortable. that was either in my parents home in beckley, west virginia and raleigh county, or in my home or in your home, h was much more comfortable sitting down to a dinner of beans and cornbread and onions and sipping buttermilk. [applause] >> he competed only against himself to work the hardest to do the most to cash. cast the greatest number of votes. and in doing so he invited --

inspired a generation of west virginia. he has now crossed the bar. crossed the bar. he set sail on a journey to the farthest shore where his beloved erma waits for him. and i know i speak for my colleagues today, representative alan mollon and shelley moore capital, in saying godspeed, my dear senator. in his role as president pro tm of the senate centerburg resident the entire senate at significant national events. his compatriot during those even, our speaker of the house of representatives who is joined here today by our majority leader, steny hoyer, that our speaker, you, senator byrd, almost as well as we west virginia and, they traveled together, they represent both bodies of this great counry of

ours in many different forms. speakers and senator brd's approach is to statecraft a similar and and no detail is too small, no vote is taken for granted, and every person matters. they both share a passion fr people. ladies and gentlemen, welcome to speak of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi. [applause] >> good afternoon. mr. president, mr. president president, mr. vice president, leaders read and the, bishop, so many friends of senator byrd who are gathered here. i'm so pleased to join my

colleagues from west virginia, mr. rahal who is the chairman and great leader in the congress of the united states. congressman alan mollohan who is a chairman as well, as wel as our delegation from house of representatives lead but our leader steny hoyer in the house? house. [applause] . .

i noticed then, that senator byrd's congressional service began in the house of representatives. in those six years in the house, he demonstrated what would become the hallmark of his commitment, his love of the people of west virginia, his passions for history and his oratorical skill. i am want to talk about his service in the house, briefly. 1953, this is one of his earliest speeches, he came to the floor of the house and he said, i learned quite a long time ago before coming, becoming a member of this house, that there's an unwritten rule in the minds of some, perhaps, which is expected to cover the conduct of new mem in a

legislative body to the extent they should often be seen but seldom be heard. i have observed this rule, he said, very carefully up until this time and i shall continue to do so, however the book of ecclesiastes says, there is everything to a season a time to keep silent and a time to speak and he decided it was time for him to speak. he went on with the beach, one of his earliest speeche he went on in the speech not only to quote the bible, shakespeare, rudd yard kipling and daniel webster and mr. president, this was a speech about world trade. [laughter] those he thrived in the house, when he moved onto the senate, senator byrd remarked that he was happy to leave behind the limitations on speaking time on the house floor.

[laughter] on a personal note i will never forget a dinner i hosted for him in the early '80s when he was running for reelection at that time, in california. after dinner we didn't know what to expect. we were all nervous to be in the presence of sh a great person. what did he do? he pulled out his fiddle and regailed us with west virginia tunes and told us great storelies aboutach and everyone of you. [applause] that was an act of ship that i will never forget. later when i came to congress, i told senator byrd how my father who had served in congress, gave me the i am of a coal miner carved in coal. it is only thing i have from my's office as a member of congress. it had to have been a gift to him from jennings randolph who had representedded west virginia so well.

[applause] and it sat in my father's office when he was in the house of representatives. it now sits in the speaker's office. and it is in my west virginia corner along with a silver stray from senator byrd which i love, especially because itis engraved with thanks from robert and irma. in the beginning of my comments i mentioned a speech of senator byrd's on the house floor. that day, in 1953, he quoted the words of daniel webster. these words, when you come to the capitol are etched on the wall of the chamber high above speaker's chair. and these words would come to define his leadership, but he voiced them in that earliest speech. senator byrd said, let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institution,

promote all its great interests and see whether we also in our day and our generation may perform something worthy to be remembered. daniel webster. senator byrd's service and his leadership were more than worthy to be rememred for many generations to come. and as my colleague, mr. rahall said, it is very appropriate that we are celebrating robert byrd's life and putting him to rest in the week of july 4th. he was a great american patriot and as governor man said, we shall never see his like again. may he rest in peace. amen. [applause]

>> my name is harry reid. i'm ther of the united states senate. [applause] i have the honor today to speak for those members of the united states senate now serving and who have served. i also want to speak for those stf members who are now serving in the united states senate and who have served. 18 years ago i left m home in searchlight, nevada and i needed something to read on the plane. i pulled out of my little library a paper back that i readong ti ago, the adventures of robinson cure russo. i had enjoyed it. i hadn't read it in a long, long time. i came --

[inaudible] i know how much he liked to read and i wanted to impress him that i had read something and, i said i read the adventures of robinson curso. he leaned his bed like so many times. his eyes rolled back toward the heavens. he paused for just a second and then he said, 28 years, two months, and 19 days. in case anyone doesn't. that is how long he was on that island. i was as astonished, i didn't know how long he had been on the island, i just read the book. [laughter] robert byrd knew it to the day and he hadn't read the book in 50 years. it was hardly the first time i had been dumfounded and hardly the first i was, i

was not the first to be dumfounded by this man's brilliance. we've all marveled at breadth of bob byrd's boundless mind, one he so generously gave to the people of this state and this country. a few years before barry goldwater died he wrote a letter to senator byrd from his home in arizona, to tell him how much he admired senator byrd's gift for remembering and reciting even the most obscure facts. here's what bear goldwater said in this -- barry goldwater said. keep it up. when you get to heaven, i'm there and i want to have someone to listen to. robert byrd didn't just memorize and catalog things for the heck of it. in fact he once advised a crowd here in charleston is the purpose of an edution is not simply to make the mind a storehouse for information but to transform that mind into an

inquisitive and innovative instrument of knowledge. he could never quite quench his thirst for learning. he was without lim, his nd and he was without equal. the first in his family to make it to the third grade, senator byrd once said he craved knowledge the way a hungry man craves bread and he consumed it in untold fashion. he grew by doing so and he changed by doing so. he never stopped learning. learning from others or even from his own mistakes. and with every new lesson he learned he also learned how much more there was to know. robert byrd could dispense knowledge as well as he absorbed it. indeed it was because he was a tireless learner he became a perillous teacher. no one was his peer as a teacher. i remember how in his

precise, poetic voice he us to protect the traditions that strengthen the senate of the united states and warned us to avoid the hazards that weakened the senate of our own, ancient rome. he taught me to care in my pocket, a copy of the constitution all senators swear to support and defend. i of course have it with me today. it every day. my old one me first is worn out. it is in my home in searchlight, in a treasured spot. this one is fairly new. the handwriting isn't as good as the first one. i'm not going to read the personal note to me but he signed it, cordially, robert c. byrd, united states senator. robert byrd always ke that charter so close to his heart because he loved his country. he will always keep his mem

my so close to our hearts because we loved him. when the founders conjured this constitution, robert byrd so revered and treasured, when they imagined the's representatives who would fill the great positions they prescribed, i believe they had the senior senator from west virginia in mind. they really had to. the authors outlined oh only a few characteristics of a united states senator. his age, his citizenship, his residency. if they had only kept writing, i'm confident they would have described robert c. byrd in full. he was exactly what they intended, an eloquent, steadfast ward of the nation's founding principles, fiercely loyal to the state that chose him. forever faithful to his constituents, his country and this constitution. it is hard to believe america's longest serving member of congress was once a freshman senator, but he

was. but in the summer of that first year, in the senat, 1959, the "charleston gazette" asked a young robert byrd to name his highest ambition. quote, if i live long enough, i would like to be the chairman of the senate appropriations committee. why did he dream that dream? [applause] why didn't he aspire to the white house or governor's mansion or some other high office? it is because robert byrd knew it was from that chair he cou best help his neighbors back home in west virginia. he knew that was his first and most important job. [applause] he knew that was his first and most important job as their representative in this senate. of course, just as he had predted, robert byrd did

indeed live long enough to hold the gavel that he coveted. 30 years to the d after he assumed the title of senator, he assumed the title of appropriations chairman. trading in the title of majority leader to do so, and then he lived and served for two more qaed. though he did more than anyone before him and probably more than anyone will ever again, he never thought he had done enough for west virginians. as we watched him work, we learned another lesson, i learned another lesson, we all learned another lesson, to never forget why we serve pnd where we come from. he once wrote and i quote, west virginia is dellably writtenn my heart and will be there until my body is returned to the dust. no one has meant more to a state than robert byrd did to west virginia. [applause] the united states senate has never meant more to anyone

than it did to robert byrd. it is true that his record for longevity are astound. just think about this. he served in our nation's congress for more than a quarter of the time our cotry s existed. and longer than a quarter of today's sitting senators and the president have been alive. it is by virtue of his endurance that rert byrd knew and worked with many of the greats of american history. but it is because of his enduring virtue that he will forever be remembered as one of these greats. his career can not alone be counted in the time he worked. rather we should measure it in the lives of those for whom he worked. his accomplishments are not sum of miions of dollars he brought back to cities like huntington and wheeling but millions of families he brought out of same poverty that he endured. on the last day of his life, on the last day of his lfe, robert byrd felt just as

strongly about the principle i just mentioned as he did the very first time he rose to speak as a state legislator in this beautiful state capitol building behind us. in that speech, which of course he memorized before delivering, he said, quote, to me the dollar is secondary. human misery and suffering and welfare of the helpless and depebd ent children come first. he was teaching us from day one and he never stopped that doesn't mean he didn't also love his remarkae records of public service because he did. rankings will forever be his and never be surpassed. he was surely proud of it. i have no doubt right now, robert byrd is bowing his head, looking down from the heavens and saying, 57 years, five months, 26 days. [laughter] [applause]

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[applause] >> that was beautiful. ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present the 42nd president of the united states, my dear friend, president bill clinton.

[applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. governor, all the members of senator byrd's family, mr. president, mr. vice president, madam speaker, congressman rahall and all the house members here, senator reared, senator mcconnell, all the senators, thank you, senator rockefeller and thank you, vicki kennedy. i'd also like to thank all the people here who at the time of his passing, or ever worked for robert byrd who helped him to succeed for the people of west virginia.

i thank them. [applause] and, i want to thank the martin luther king male chorus. they gave us a needed break from all these politicians talking up here. [applause] i want to say first that i come here to speak for two members my family. hillary wanted to be here today and she paid her respects to senator byrd as he lay in state in the united states senate before making a trip on behalf of our country to central and eastern europe. i am grateful to bob byrd for many things, but one thing that no one has given enough attention to in my opinion today is that while he always wanted to be the best senator, and he always

wanted to be the longest-serving senator, he wanted every other senator to be the best senator that he or she could be and he helped hillary a lot when she came to represent the people of new york. i am forever grateful for that. [applause] now, everybody else has canonizing senator byrd. i would like to humanize him a little bit. because i think it makes it more interesting and makes his service all the more important much. first of alll mt people had to go all the way to washington to become awed by, you might even say, intimidated by robert byrd. not me. i had advance experience before i got elected president because the first time i ever ran for office, at the opening of campaign

season in arkansas, below the wacataw and ozark mountains which were once connected to the appalachians, we had this big rally and t year i started, don't you know robert byrd was the speaker. 1974, april, i'll never forget it. it was a beautiful spring night and he gave one of thos stem-winding speeches. and then he got up and he ayed the fed dill and the crowd went crazy. you know, in 1974, in a place like arc say and west virginia, playing the fed dill was whole lot better for your politics than playing a saxophone. [laughter] so, i am completely intimidated. and then, all the candidates get to speak. they're all limited to four or five minutes. some went over. all the candidates for governor and every state officer.

members, people running for the house of representatives, there were five of us. we were dead last and i drew the shorlast, i was dead last among them. by the time i got up to speak, it been so long since bert byrd spoke, he was hungry again. and i realized, in my awed state, i couldn't do that well. so i decided to only chance i had to be remembered was to give the shortest speech. i spoke for 80 seconds. and i won the primary. and i owd it to robert byrd. [applause] now, when i was elected president, i knew that one of the things i needed to do before i took the oath of office was go to the senate and pay my respects to senator byrd. in 1974 when i met him he

had already been the leading authority on the institutional histy of the senate and the senate rules for some years and he certainly was, by the time i was about to become president. so i did that. and i got a copy of his history ofhe senate, and his history of the roman senate. and i read them and i'm proud to say still on my bookshelfs in my office in harlem, in new york city today because i was so profoundly impressed. now, robert byrd was not without a sense of humor. for example, i was once ragging him about all the federal money he was hauling do to west virginia.

and it was bad for me i'm from arkansas. we weren't much better off than you. we wer't any better off than you. every friend i had in arkansas. he is just a senator. you're sitting in white house. we don't get squat. what is matter with you. i was getting the living day lights beadedden out of me once a week. i said early in first term, senator, if you pave every single inch of west virginia, it is going to be much harder to mine coal and he smiled and he said, the constitution does not prohibit humble servants from delivering they can to their constituents. [laughing] and, -- [applause] but let me say something serious. he knew people who were

elected to represent states and regions and political fa losses were flesh and blood people mes they never would be perfect. he knew they were subject to passion and anger and when you make a decision that's important when you're mad there is about 80% chance you will make a mistake. and that's why he thought the rules and the institution and the constitution were so important and he put them everything. even what he wanted. . .

>> that is now called the byrdr. they know who is running for senate. go ahead and named the rule for him. i said, you know, you ought to suspend because the budget will be bankrupt if we don't quit spending so much money on health care and we can do. so we offer health care to everybody. you looked at me and said, that argument might have worked when you were a professor in law school. [laughter] >> but, you know, as well as i do it is substantively wrong. he wouldn't do it. been in his defense, he turned right around and he worked his heart out to break that filibuster and he was trying to

the very and not to get me to give up the fight, because he thought if we just tried we could find some errant republican who would make a mistake and vote with us. [laughter] >> he would never give it up. the point i want to make his, he made a decision against his own interest, his own conviction, and that's one reason i thank god that he could go in his wheelchair, and his most significant vote at the end of his service in the senate and vote for health care reform and make it. [applause] >> now, i will say this. if you want to get along with senator byrd and to having one of these constitutional differences, it was better for ur long-term health if you lost the battle. [laughter] >> i won the battle over the line item veo. oh, he hated the line-item veto.

he hated the line-item veto with a passion that most people in west virginia reserve for blood feuds like the hatfields like the hatfields and mccoys. you would have thought the line-item veto had been killing members of the byrd family for 100 years. [laughter] >> it made his blood boil. you've never been lectured by anybody until bob byrd has lectur you, you're never known a leurer. i regret that every new presidt and every new member of congress will never have the experience of being dressed down by senator robert byrd. and i'll be dark if he was right about that. the supreme court will for him instead of me on the line-item veto. [applause] >> the point i want to make here is a serious one.

he did as good a job for you as he could. as far as he was concerned, there was no such thing as too much for west virginia. but the one tnghe would not do, even for you, is a violate his sense of what was required to maintain the integrity of the constitution and the integrity of the united states senate, so that america could go on when we were wrong as well as right. though we would never be dependent on always being right. [applause] >> let me just say, finally, it commonplace to say that he was a self-maae man, that he set an example of lifetime learning. is the first, and as far as i know maybe the only member of congress, to get a law degree while serving in the congress.

but he did more learning than that. and all you've got to do is look around this crowd today and listen to that music to rememb remember. --there are a lot of people who wrote these eulogies for senator byrd in newspapers, and i read a bunch of them. they mentioned that he once had a fleeting association with a ku klux klan, what does that mean? i'll tell you what it means. he was a country boy from the hills and hollows from west virginia. he was trying to get elected. and maybe he did something he shouldn't have done come and he spent the rest of his life making it up. and that's what a good person does. [applae] >> there are no perfect people. there are certainly no perfect politicians. oso yeah, i'm glad he got a logically but by that time he already knew more than 99% of lawyers anyway.

the degree he got in human nature and human wisdom, the understanding that came to him by serving you, serving in the senate, that the people from the hills and haulers of west virginia in their patriotism, they provide a disproportionate number of soldiers who fought for our independence from england. [applause] >> than provide a disproportionate number of the soldiers in every single solitary conflict since hat time whether they agreed or disagreed with the policy. [applause] >> the family feeling, the clan loyalty, the fanic independence, the desire for a hand up, not a hand out, the willingness to fight when put into a corner, that is often not

the people from whom senator byrd and i sprang in trouble. because we didn't keep learning and growing and understanding that all the african-americans who have been left out, left down, and lived for going to church you live forcing their kids get a better deal, and have their children signed up for the military, they are just like we are. that all the irish catholics, scots irish used to fly, everybody, the italian immigrants, the people from latin america who have come to our shores, the people from all over the world. everyone who's ever been l down and left out and ignored and abuse, who has a terrible family story, we are all unlike. that is the real education robert byrd.com and he lived it every day of his life in the united states senate to make america a better, stronger

place. [applause] >> so, not long after, maybe right before senator byrd lost erma, i said in a fleeting world of instant food and attention deficit disorder, he had proved, and so had she, that some people really do love each other till death do them part. i've been thinking about that today, thinking maybe we ought to amend the marriage vows and say until death do us part, and until death do bring us back together. [applause]

>> i admired senator byrd. i like them. i was grateful to him. i loved our arguments, and i loved our common causes. but most of all, i loved it that he had the wisdom to believe that america was more important than a one individual, anyone president, anyone senator, that the rules, the institution, the system had to enable us to keep forming a more perfect union, through ups and downs in good times and bad. he has left us a precious gift. he fought a good fight. he kept the faith. he has finished his course, but not ours. if we really would honor him today, and every day, we must remember his lessons and live by them. thank you.

[plause] >> the next person that i have the honor to present is a man who has served with our beloved senator byrd 436 years in the senate, almost longer than any other senator. would you please join me in getting a west virginia welcome to the vice president of the united states, joe biden. [applause] >> bishop, reverend clergy, good morning, margaret, the entire byrd family. if you didn't already know it, it's pretty clear they credible esteem your father

was healthy. i know you have known that your whole life. to my fellow members of the senate, you know, i was on the president when i got elected, the last time, a great honor of running with the president, i was elected vice president and united states senator the same day, my seventh term. and in talking to, and i got sworn in for the seventh term because we thought we might need a vote there in those first couple of weeks. and every time i sat with the leader, i never called senator byrd sender. i always called him later. when i sat with the leader, i could see that look in his face and he said, joe, are you sure you're making the right decision getting at the senator for vice president? [laughter] >> s. senator snowe, he revered the senate.

going into the chamber when we're going to honor your father, yesterday we walked in together, he said, youknow, joe, if you state you would be number two. i'm still number two. [applause] >> i'm still number two. ladies and gentlemen, mr. president, yesterday i had the opportunity to pay my respects to senator byrd as he lie in repose in the senate chamber. i met the family then, and again today. and the last time that happened was 50 years ago. the last time but that chamber i revere served as the resting place for anyone was 50 years ago. but although i am icollege behind me readerhe senate,

robert c. byrd elevated the senate. other great men and their families would have chosen for them to lay in state in the rotunda, but bob byrd family chose to lay in state in the senate chamber. and to me, this is completely appropriate having served in their 36 plus years, for the senate chamber was robert c. byrd's cathedral. the senate chamber was his cathedral, and west virginia was his heaven. [applause] >> and there's not a lot of hyperbole in that. every person in the senate, as my colleagues behind me can tell you, brings something special about them. i will never forget having privately criticized a senator

when i was there the first year. i was sitting with the previous leader, senator mansfield, an incredible guy, and he told e that he said, why are you upset? and i told him about a particular senator railing against something i thought was very worthy, the americans disability act. and he went on to tell me that every member of thesenate represented something in the eyes of their state that was special, and represented a piece of their state. well, if there was ever a senator who was the embodiment of his state, if there was ever a senator who, in fact, reflected his state, it was robert c. byrd. the fact of the matter is, the

pick of the banjo, the sweet sound of the fiddle, dinners in the spring, country fairs in the summer, the beauty of the laurels and the mountains, the rush of the rapids through the valley, these things not only describe west virginia, but from an outsiders point of view who has been there many times at the invitation of jennings randolph and robert c. byrd, it seems to me they defined a way of life. it's more than just astate. and robert c. byrd was the fairest, most feared defender of not only the state but the way of life. i think the most fierce defender of the state has ever known in its history. you know, robert byrd did use the phrase when i die, will be

written on my heart. and i usually get them. has so many scots data, you don't recognize the guys name choice. when they use that phrase he never acknowledged that was james joyce's th when i die, it will be written in my heart. all he would do is laugh. the fact of the matter is, west virginia was not one but not his heart he worked on a street. he took such pride in this place. he took such pride and off you. i remembere has been one of the few races he had come in was a race, because i was a young guy and i came down and demonstrate to everybody that i could not keep up with robert c. byrd, which happened to be true. and i was, i think nick, you at the dinner, we had jefferson jackson day dinner, down here

and robert c. byrd did something that never happened before at all theinners i've spoken it. he stood up and he said, we're honored to have senator joe biden from delaware here tonight, and, joe, i'd like to introduce you to west virginia. then he spent his neck all, remember, the next probably 10 minutes talking about everyone in the audience. by name, where they were from, what they had done, hhw they have thought through difficulty, and then he said, kind of like johnny, hee's joe. well, i thought it was pretty impressive, literally. robert c. byrd asked me to speak, but he knew the privilege was mine, not the people to whom i was speaking. he was devoted to all of you

like to senators in the 37 years i was there, 36 plus years i was there, that i have ever ever known. he was fiercely devoted, as you've all heard to his principles. even once he became power, always spoke to power. standing up for the people he proudly was part of, and you've heard it many times today, but it bears repeating again, for the constitution he revered. i always wear a flag pin, but i was afraid he would be looing down today because every time i would wear the flag pin on the floor,e would grab me, take my pen, and put on the constitution and. that's that then i'm wearing. so, boss, i'm wearing the pin. [applause]

>> robert c. byrd said many things, but he once said as long as there is a form in which questions can be asked by men and women o do not stand in awe of a chief executive, and one can speak as long as one seat will allow one to stand, the liberties of the american people will be secure. 11 presidents, new robert c. byrd. he served, as he pointed out, concurrently with them, not under them. [applaus >> and 11 presidents, with a author, and two are here, can attest to the fact that he always showed respect, but never difference. and he stood in all of none. he had an incredible prodigious memory that i will not take the time to regale you about. i just never one time sitting with the queen of england at a

formal dinner, and he recited the entire, the ntire lineage of the tutors, and every year each one had served. and she sat there, and ithought her bonnet was going to flip off her head. [laughter] >> she was like, what did i just hear? she learned about relatives you probably forgot she had. as also known, robert c. byrd was a parliamentary library, keeper of the institution of the senate, and he was the institution himself. but to me, and many people here today like guys i see, bill bradley d jim sasser the lone left the senate for greener pastures, but and, i hope, better remuneration, we used to get about that, too, but i, for a lot of us he was a friend. he was a mentor and he was a

guide. nicanor talking a little earlier because, nick, i commute everyday for 36 years to the message said 250 miles a day. robert c. byrd was a stickler. about when he said those. an hour drive down from washington and i would call nick on this big old car phone i just had which waabout that big, and i would say, nick, i can see the dome. hold of the book that i can see the dome. finally, he caught on. center, how far away can you see the dome? can you hold a vote to more minutes for biden? as long as i was behaving, he held the vote. when i found myself in disagreement, i would stand there to catch a 7:00 train. he would set a vote for 7:00. and i would walk up to them and i need seven minutes from the chamber. and nick knows his, i would stand, i always do down in the well and he stood at the first

riser, and i would say mr. leader, i note we have an hour, i said you set the vote for seven. any possibility of setting it at 10 to seven signed a trade? he would go like this ca look at the clock, look at me and sa no. [laughter] >> no. but that's because i misbehave once. i voted with george mitchell on a matter relating to minors. and that was a big mistake. [laughter] >> he literally took the roll call sheet, the sheets of the staff memos knowwith every senator's name and how they voted. he took the roll call sheet, have it framed, had my name circled in red, and literally, literally had it screwed to the ornate doorframe in his office then as the chairman of the appropriations committee. so every single sender coming to

see him would walk out and that i hide they would seek biden circled in red, and no dogma they bettenot vote against robert c. byrd, ever. [applaus >> you think i'm joking? i'm not joking. and then i got in his good graces. i tried to run for president he said i do want any senators running for president. i sa why, mr. leader? he said because you never come back and thought when i need you. so i made a promise that no matter where i was when he called me and said he needed my vote, i would drop whatever i was doing and i would come. and i kept the commitment, the only one, i might add. that got me back in his good graces again. the point is, that this is a man who knew exactly what he was doing. after i was elected in 1970 as a twin nine year old kid, i was number 100 out of 100 in seniority. and leader bd offered up, he

offered his office to me to come down from delaware so i could have a place to interview the staff members. it was in his office, and the connection his secretary put through that i received a call telling me about an accident which took the life of my wife and my daughter. and when they were buried, we held a memorial service a couple of days later in delaware where thousands of people showed up. it was a bne chilling, "slate" day of rain. and people couldn't get to church. and i never knew it, initially, but robert c. byrd, and i think you may have driven him up, nick, drove up on his own with nick, to that church.

he stood outside for the better part of an hour in a driving rainstorm, where the temperature was below 32. when my brother saw him and asked him to come in, he said no. he wouldn't displace anyone. he stayed there for the entire service. when the service was over, he got in the vehicle and he drove back. never attempting to be noticed. never seeking, as mike casey's wife uses a, the real measure of generosity, would you do it if no one ever knew you did it? well, robert c. byrd did that. i was appreciative of what he did, but i quite frankly didn't understand until a couple of years later. i was in his office, and behind his desk was a huge booth in bronze. it was michael's boot, his

grandson's boot. and all of a sudden it came so crystal clear to me who this guy was. i had known him, but i understood immediately what he was about. for him, it was all about family. it was not ust erma, his beloved wife of 69 years. and it was not just his daughters and his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, all of whom are in our prayers today. it was an awful lot of you. i be if he were here, he could look out and name, name you. and tell you what your father or mother did for him, what your grandmother or grandfather did for him. and how you made such and such of yourself. clearly, his own life, robert byrd suffered a lot of hardships. you all know the story, losin

his mom, being raised and adopted by an aunt and uncle, growing up in a home without electricity or water, having to work at every age. he had an incredible, incredible determination. one that i don't think any of my call legs have ever witnessed. but, you know, this man was, wasn't just that as president clinton pointed out, that at age 47 as a sitting congressman, or 45, he went and got a lot of greek. i don't know if you know, you probably do, mr. president, he got a lot of grief without having a college degree. and at age 77, he went to marshall university and completed his work, getting his college degree. because, to him, in my view, and i don't know if familyould tell you this -- [applause] >> in him i think he thought there was something wrong with

the fact that he got the llaw degree without graduating. he didn't need that undergraduate degree. but it was bob byrd who quoted john stennis, plaut to the end of the row. remarkable thing about him is he traveled a ha path, he devoted his life though to making that path a little easier for those who followed. this is a guy who continue to taste and smell and feel the suffering of the people of his state. he tasted it. that's what it was so deeply ingrained in him. it wasn't just a moral obligation. this guy remembered, and he unapologetically wanted out, improve the money by stealing money that he could possibly get. remember, governor, the two campaigns. was getting beat up two

campaigns ago, have the fbi moved out down to west virginia. and the national press was beating him up, and i was on the floor with him and he just g ripped in a press conference about that. and you know used to grab you by the arm, walk you back and say, joe, i hope they keep throwing me in the briar patch. [laughter] >> but i tell you what, you west virginia's oh a lot of people in delaware for a lot of money. we should of got that you got. i just want you to know that. so be nice to the rest of us. [laughter] [applause] >> and bthe way, if you doubt it, just drive here, crossed the robert c. byrdrive, the robert c. byrd library, clinic, robert c. federal building in charleston and on and on and on. but ladies and gentlemen, of course it's more than the name we're not going to forget. it's his courage.

he died like event. he died like he lived. he never stopped fghting. how many people would have hung on as long as he did? how many people would've had the ability to get back out of that hospital bed and get in a wheelchair and come in and vote, vote for this? never stopped thinking. about his people and the things he cared about. speaking several weeks ago, this week actually, when senator byrd said, quote, like jefferson and adams, i'm inspired to continue serving the land i love to the very best of my abilities, to the whole, for the whole of my dears. he served the land he loved. he served the people h loved. he served the people who were in

his blood. and because of that service, you have gained greatly. and with his loss, you are the first to feel that loss. but it's not just west virginia alone. it's all of us. i said to him, i said of him when i learned of his death, i was on an errand for president in cleveland, and i said, you know, paraphrase the poet, you shall not see his like again. had he been there he would have said, e, that's shakespeare. hamlet act i, scene two. [laughter] >> and the actual quote is i shall not look upon his like again. mr. leader, we're not going to look upon your like agin. i'm not even going to ask god to bless you because you're a has, and i know where you are.

may god bless your family. may god bless this state in this country, and may god protect our troops. thank you. [applause] >> it is truly an honor for west virginia to host all these special dignitaries that came today, and i really, on behalf of these great people and this woerful state, i want to thank each and every one of you. and it really just shows how many lives senator byrd has touched. over two months ago, the man i'm going to introduce to you honored us by coming in paying tribute to our fallen miners. at upper brig branch, and we appreciate that so much in honoring them and honoring their

families and all the people who work so hard to make this country what it is calm and kee it strng and free. ladies and gentlemen, it is truly my honor now to present to you the president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> thank you mona and marjorie, and to senator byrd's entire family, including those are adorable great granddaughters that i had a chance to meet, michelle and i

offer you our deepest sympathies. to senator byrd's friends, including the speaker of the house, the majority leader, the republican leader, president clinton, vice president biden, vicki kennedy, nick rahall and all the previous speakers, senator rockefeller for the outstanding work that you've done for the state of west virginia, to his larger family, the people of west virginia, i want you all to know that all of america shares your loss. but maybe all find comfort in a verse, a scripture that reminds me of our dear friend. the time of my departure has come, i have fought the good

figh i think in the race, i kept the faith. it's interesting that you've heard that passage from several speakers now. because it embodies somebody who knew how to run a good and long race. and somebody who knew how to keep the faith. with his state, his family, his country and his constitution. years from now when i think of the men we have memorialized today, i will remember him as he was when i came to kw him. his white hair full, like a main, his gait steadied with a cane. determined to make the most of every last breath, the

distinguished gentleman from west virginia could be found at his desk and to the very end up doing the peoples business. delivering soul stirring speeches, a hint of the appalachians in his voice, stabbing their with his finger, fiery as ever. use in the 10th decade, he was a senate icon, he was a party leader, he was an elder statesman. and he was my riend. that's how i will remember him. today, we remember the path he climbed to such extraordinary peaks. born cornelius calvin junior, corning, he joked for short, his mother lost her life and the great influenza pandemic of

1918. and from beyond an aunt and uncle who raised him, and west virginia's coal camps, he gained t only the byrd may but a reverence for god almighty, a love of learning, that was nurtured in mark twain's school. and there he et erma, his sweetheart for over 70 years, by whose side he will now rest for eternity. unable to afford college, he did what he could to get by, finding work as a gas station attendant, a producer husband, and meat cutter, and a world in the shipyards of baltimore and tampa during world war ii. returning home to west virginia after the war, he ran for the state house of delegates, using his fiddle casas a briefcase.

better to stand out on the stump. befo long he ran for congress, serving in the house before jumping over to the senate where he was elected nine times, held almost every ladership role imaginable, and proved capable of slaying others, as standing alone. marking a role of milestones along the way. longest-serving member of congress, for nearly 19,000 votes cast. not a single loss at the polls. a record that speaks to the bond that he had with you, the people of his state. transplant to washington, his heart remained here in west virginia. in the place that shaped him with the people that he loved. his heart belongs to you. making life better here was his

only agenda. giving you hope, he said, was his greatest achievement. hope in the form of a new jobs and industries. hope in the form of black lung benefits and union protection. hope through roads and research centers, schools, scholarships, health clinics, and industrial parks that bear his name. his early rival and late friend, ted kennedy, used to joke about campaigning in west virginia, when his bus broke down, said he goa hold of the highway patrol who asked where he was. he said i want robert byrd highway. [laughter] >> the dispatcher said, which one? [laughter] >> it's a life that immeasurably

improve the lives of west virginia and. of course, robert byrd was a deeply religious man. a christian. and so he understood that our lives are marked by sins as well as virtues, failures as well as successes, weakness as well as strength. we know there are things he said, things he did that he came to regret. i remember talking about that first time i visited with him. he said there are things i regretted in my youth. you may know that. and i said, none of us are absent some regrets, senator. that's why we enjoy seeking the grace of god.

and as i reflect on the full sweep of his 92 years, it seems to me that his life been towards justice, like the constitution he tucked in his pocket like our nation itself, robert byrd possessed that quintessential americ quality, and that is a capacity to change. a capacity to learn. a capacity to listen. a capacity to be made more perfect. over his nearly six decades in our capital, he became too seen as the very embodiment of the senate. the history and the four farms he gave to me, just as he gave president clinton.

i, too, read it. i was care he was going to quiz me. [laughter] >> but as i soon discovered, his passion for the senate passed, his mastery of even its most arcane procedures, it wasn't an obsession with the trivial or the obscure. it reflected a profoundly noble impulse, a recognition of a basic truth about this country that we are not a nation of men. we are a nation of laws. our way of life rests on our democratic institutions. precisely because we are fallible, that falls to each of us to safeguard these institutions. even when it's inconvenient, and

pass on our republic, more perfect than before. considering the vast learning of this self-taght senator, his speeches sprinkled with the likes of cicero and shakespeare and jefferson, it seems fitting to close with one of his favorite passages in the literature, a passage from moby dick. there is catskill eagle in some souls, that can block down to the gorges and soar out of them again and become visible in the sunny space. and even if he forever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains. so that even in his lowest swoop, the mountain eagle is still higher than any other byrd on the plane. even though they soared.

robert byrd was a mountain eagle. and his lowest swoop is stil higher than the other birds on the plane. may god bless robert c. byrd. may he be welcomed kind by the rights under righteous judge and may his spirit scored like a catskill eagle high above the heavens. thank you so much. [applause] [applause]

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>> let us all stand for the benediction and military honors. the benediction seems to be such a finale to the life celebrations such as this. however, according to the faith that senator byrd held so deeply, this celebration actually will never end. it will simply move to a more select real location. and as from that location that senator byrd and his wife, erma, are looking down and observing us at this moment. and they are probably wondering what all the fuss is abou. senator byrd would say, i was simply doing my duty for the citizens of west virginia. the apostle paul best describe the effectiveness of the senators duty and service, when

he said, he fought a good fight. he finished his course. he kept the fait. therefore, there is a crown of righteousness laid out for him, which the righteous judge himself shall give to him on that day. so, heavenly father, senator byrd has cared for us, and watched over us all of these years, we pray now that you care for and watch over him throughout eternity. now, unto the god who is able to do above all that we can ask, according to the power that wasn't in a, be glory both now and forever more. erma. amen.

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>> the funeral services will be held next tuesday at the cemetery in arlington, virginia. next, members of the joint

economic committee's get to the unemployment numbers for june. that is followed by president obama's remarks on the economy. >> the c-span finial library has every program since 1987 but did you know that includes every author that appears on book tv? rehearse >> now, the joint economic committee hears testimony from the commissioner of bureau labor statistics on numbers for june and employment trends.

>> the meeting will come to order. and i would first like to recognize myself for my opening statement. today's employment report from the bureau of labor and statistics shows that in june the economy added 83,000 private-sector jobs. this is the sixth straight month of employment gains in the private sector. you can see that the light blue is t gains of jobs in the private sector. the red, the redv-chart -- when president bush was in office. you can see down in the valley. at the low point, we lost over 779,000 jobs. the last month president bush was in office.

when president obama took office, it has been a zigzag, but we are trending in the right direction and gaining private- sector jobs. since the beginning of this year, the econy has added 593 jobs in the private sector. as expected, the june report showed a sharp decline in temporary business workers, government workers causing total non-farm payrolls to decline for the first time this year. additionally, the june employment report showed that the unemployment rate ticked down to 9.5%, and the number of unemployed workers declined by 350,000. although the overall unemployment rate has declined from its peak of 10.1% in october, not all demographic groups are seeing the same trends and unemployment rates. for example, the unemployment rate for african-america workers continued to rise after

october, although the current unemployment rate of 15.4% is lower than the peak of 16.5%. although the unemployment rate for women showed little change in the first five mont of 2010, the unemployment rate from women declined in june to 8.3%. we havmade real progress in the past year. last june, this cntry lost 452,000 private-seor jobs. while these job gains are not as robust as earlier this year, the trend is definitely in the right direction. the policies that democrats in congress quickly put into place over the last year are working. in addition to overall private- sector job gains, there were gains across many sectors in our economy. manufacturing employment has

risen for six months in a row after falling three straight years. consumer spending has risen every month since october of 2009. surveys of both the service sector and the manufacturing sector showed that the growth is expected to continue. but we have to be patient. the path to recovery is never in a straight line. for the millions of workers who lost their jobs it will take time for them to become employed again. we also have to be vigilant. the recovery is still fragile, and our economy is still vulnerable. in fact, nobel laureate paul

krugman believes we are in the early stages of another great depression. he recently wrote that this depression, "will be primarily a failure of policy. governments are obsessing about inflation when the real threat is deflationary. preaching the need for belt- tightening when the real problem is inadequate spending." i am disheartened that the senate has failed to extend unemployment insurance benefits, despite the fact that there are still 14.6 million unemployed workers bearing the brunt of the worst economic crisis since the great depression. as a result, an estimated 1.7 million unemployed workers will lose benefits by the end of next week. some members of congress do not want to extend unemployment benefits because they believe these benefits create a disincentive for people to seek work. as this majority staff report shows, this is a report that waseveloped and released recently by the lec, the evidence is clear. these benefits do not inhibit

job seekers from vigorously looking for or accepting work. instead, these benefits provide an enormous benefit to society by stimulating the economy as well as preventing workers from dropping out of the labor force. evy dollar that an unemployed worker gets he or she plows right back into the economy, because they need to. that helps us reduce the deficit. that helps us keep our economy moving. even former fed chairman alan greenspan expressed strong supporfor extensions of unemployment benefits after the first bush recession. in a hearing before the joint

economic committee in may 2003, chairman greenspan stated, "when you are in a period of job weakness, where it is not a choice on the rt of people whether or not they are employed or unemployed, then obviously you want to be temporarily generous." and that is what we havdone in the past. and i think it has worked well. in may 2003, we had fewer than three unemployed workers for every opening, and the unemployment rate was 6.1%. the most recent data shows that there are five unemployed workers for every opening, and the unemployment rating is 9.5%. this provides more than stimulus for the economy and a social safety net for people who are out of work. it is fiscally prudents well. disabled workers to become discouraged and drop out of the work force enter the social security disability insurance program, which is much more expensive than unemployment insurance benefits. we all know that unemployment benefits stimulate the economy. every dollar in unemployment

benefits multiplies to create over $1.60 in economic activity at a hearing before this committee in february, the director of the nonpartisan congressional budget office testified that extending these benefits is one of the most effective and efficient ways to stimulate the economy. and surely it is obvious that getting the economy to grow and getting people back to work are crucial to getting our deficit under control. moreover, this will be the first time since 1959 that the government will allow unemployed benefits to expire when the national unemployment rate was over 7%. it is time for all members of congresso put the american people first. i yield back the balance of my time and yield to my colleague and good friend mr. grady. >> thank you, madam chairman. happy fourth of july.

i hope you enjoy the holiday. i am pleased to join again in welcoming dr. hall before the committee this morning. today's report is more disappointing news for american workers and their families. even excluding the layoffs of temporary census workers, job growth remains anemic at 83,000. at the slow pace, it will take much of a decade to return to normal levels. unemployment fell for the wrong reasons -- six and 52,000 workers leaving the labor force.

-- 652 workers leaving the labor force. those not seeking jobs rose to 2.6 million. that is an all-time high. 6.8 million american workers have remained unemployed for six months or longer. in january of last year, president obama promised the economic program would restore confidence and jump-start the u.s. economy. the last month, the consumer confidence index fell dramatically. consumer confidence is flagging because families are frightened by dangerous deficits as far as the eye can see. as for jobs during the economy, two of the administration's top economists predicted that if congress were toass the stimulus bill the unemployment rate would remain below 8% and non-farm payroll would increase to 137.6 million jobs by the fourth quarter of this year.

democrats in congress did enact the american recovery and investment act, but the stimulus has fallen far short of both these important projections. the growth of real gdp slowed by more than one half, from 5.6% in the last quarter of 2009 to 2.7% in the first quarter of this year. the number of enomic indicators flashed yellow in the second quarter, suggesting economic growth may be sluggish for the remainder of this year and next. americans do not see an economy in recovery. they feel the white house is incapable of protecting our beaches are getting ople back to work. this anemic economic reform after the recession began in 2007 is in sharp contrast to the robust growth that benefited american workers and their families after the 1981- 1982 recession. the obama recovery is one-third the recovery of the reagan recovery. it is one-third the recovery of the 1981-1982 recession.

president reagan's economic policies were a tail wind, accelerating real economic growth. president reagan pursued pro- growth policies, including large reductions in marginal tax rates, deregulation, and trade opening, combined with this inflationary monetary policies unr paul volcker and alan greenspan. reagan laid the foundation for two decades of prosperity. in contrast, president obama and congressional democrats have pursued anti-growth policies at have hindered this recovery. businesses are slow to hire because they fear higher taxes.

there is just telling regulation and a dysfunction in washington that is in geologically driven and increasingly anti business. instead of encouraging business, president obama has given entrepreneurs reason to worry. businesses are not reluctant to hire because they are waiting to see what washington will do for them. they are reluctant to hire because they are afraid of what washington will do to them. ominously, president obama and congressional democrats are insisting on reckless increases in congressional spending now and in the future. this puts the aaa reputation of+ the u.s. government into jeopardy for the first time since alexander hamilton resurrected the finances of the united states after the revolutionary war and put us on tthe road to becoming an economic superpower. the congressional budget office projects that under the president's budget federal spending will grow to 25.2% of gdp, far above its postwar averagef 19.5%. this is a structural budget deficit in excess of 4% of gdp. deficit in excess of 4% of gdp.