The Associated Press is reporting a special election for the Byrd U. S. Senate Seat is in doubt.
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Special Session on Byrd Seat at Impasse
Sunday, July 18th, 2010West Virginia’s Future in Congress
Friday, July 16th, 2010Cecelia Mason a West Virginia Public Radio correspondent prepared a perspective on a Congress without Byrd or Mollohan and the impact on our State. It’s worth a click and read.
Manchin’s Decision
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010Many readers of phillipsbillboard do not read The Charleston Gazette on a daily basis nor desire to. There is an excellent historic perspective prepared by The Associated Press on appointees being named to vacant U. S. Senate seats in West Virginia.
It could explain why Governor Manchin does not wish to occupy the seat of the late Senator Robert C. Byrd even on a temporary basis. The AP research has revealed none of the five West Virginians appointed to vacant U. S. Senate seats survived the next election – one decided not to run; the rest lost.
It is understandable why Governor Manchin wants to complete his term. First, he promised. Secondly, if there is no special election until November 2012 he remains politically safe.
There is one element important to West Virginia that may be being over looked. That being seniority in the United States Senate. Senator Byrd proved its importance.
Should Governor Manchin or anyone he names enter the Senate now they would gain over two year of seniority – assuming they were elected to the full term in 2012. That may not sound important today but it is. Even more so in twenty years – as we know once elected most Senators remain in office for several terms.
Let’s say there is even a small turnover in Senate membership in the 2010 election. That would move our West Virginia Senator up immediately in seniority.
This issue should be paramount in the decision making going on in The Governor’s Mansion after Senator Byrd’s funeral.
Senator Byrd We Need You
Monday, March 8th, 2010Senator Byrd is needed in the United States Senate more than ever. He needs to be there to protect the Senate from itself.
It is well known the Obama administration is pressuring Congress to use a process known as reconciliation to pass health care reform.
After the congressional budget act passed in 1974 (I worked there at the time) Congress started to abuse the spending and revenue targets established in the budget resolution passed each year.
Senator Byrd stepped in to stop using the budget reconciliation process to enact legislation that had nothing to do in meeting the requirements of the budget resolution.
He introduced legislation which was passed in 1985 and became permanent in 1990. It is known as the “Byrd Rule”.
Senators are permitted under the “Byrd Rule” to ask for a point of order objecting to provisions in the reconciliation legislation they believe does not meet the requirements of the budget resolution. After that it is up to the President of the Senate or presiding officer. In practice, the Senate Parliamentarian makes the final decision.
Despite the fact Senator Byrd voted for health care reform on Christmas Eve let’s hope he is well enough to be present to stop the abuse of reconciliation as he did in l985.
Byrd Health Mystery
Friday, June 26th, 2009The Huddle – a must read morning briefing on the lastest congressional news contains the piece below this morning.
Byrd Health Mystery: The reality is that a lot of key people remain in the dark about Sen. Robert Byrd’s condition. From Roll Call’s Jessica Brady: ‘Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-Wa.) has not spoken in recent weeks with his home-state colleague. Sen. Robert Byrd (D), who has been in the hospital since last month with an infection.
‘Asked Wednesday whether he had spoken with Byrd, Rockefeller said. ‘Nobody has.’
‘I have not been in touch with Senator Byrd directly but I have sent him my well wishes.’ Rockefeller later added in a statement. …Sources have said Senate Democratic leaders and Byrd’s own staff is largely in the dark about his true condition. Byrd’s office has declined to comment about where he is receiving medical treatment.’