Changes

Byrd's stand against [[civil rights]] catapulted him into a Senate Democrat leadership role. Byrd held the positions of Democratic Majority Whip from 1971 to 1977, Senate Minority Leader in the Reagan era from 1981 to 1987, Democratic Majority Leader from 1987 to 1989. Byrd was removed as Democratic Leader after the election of Pres. [[George H.W. Bush]] for not being [[partisan]] and confrontational enough. Democrats wanted to end "twelve years of neglect" and install the [[New Jim Crow]].

Byrd's stand against [[civil rights]] catapulted him into a Senate Democrat leadership role. Byrd held the positions of Democratic Majority Whip from 1971 to 1977, Senate Minority Leader in the Reagan era from 1981 to 1987, Democratic Majority Leader from 1987 to 1989. Byrd was removed as Democratic Leader after the election of Pres. [[George H.W. Bush]] for not being [[partisan]] and confrontational enough. Democrats wanted to end "twelve years of neglect" and install the [[New Jim Crow]].

On November 7, 2006, Byrd was elected to an unprecedented ninth consecutive term in the Senate. He became the longest-serving senator in American history on June 12, 2006, surpassing [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]] with 17,327 days of service.<ref>[http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/053106/news2.html The Hill]</ref> Previously, he already held the record for the longest unbroken tenure in the Senate (Thurmond served 48 years in total, but vacated the office between April and November 1956). Counting his tenure as a West Virginia state legislator from 1947 to 1953, Byrd served as an elected official for almost 60 years ''and never lost an election''. Byrd cast a total of 17,745 votes as of September 13, 2006 — the most of any senator in history. Upon the death of Senator George Smathers of Florida on January 20, 2007 — Byrd became the last living United States Senator from the 1950s.<ref>[http://senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/three_column_table/10000_or_more_votes.htm U.S. Senate]</ref> This means that not only did Byrd outlive every other Senator who had seniority over him, but he is the only person to ever have remained in the Senate the entire time while doing it. He surpassed [[Carl Hayden]] of [[Arizona]] as the longest-serving member of Congress (House and Senate tenure combined) in American history in early 2010. Byrd was the last remaining Senator to have voted on a statehood bill and has served longer in the Senate than eight of his colleagues have been alive (those being [[Bob Casey, Jr.]], [[Amy Klobuchar]], [[Blanche Lincoln]], [[John Thune]], [[David Vitter]], [[Barack Obama]], [[Mark Pryor]], and [[John E. Sununu]]).

On November 7, 2006, Byrd was elected to an unprecedented ninth consecutive term in the Senate. He became the longest-serving senator in American history on June 12, 2006, surpassing [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]] with 17,327 days of service.<ref>[http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/053106/news2.html The Hill]</ref> Previously, he already held the record for the longest unbroken tenure in the Senate (Thurmond served 48 years in total, but vacated the office between April and November 1956). Counting his tenure as a West Virginia state legislator from 1947 to 1953, Byrd served as an elected official for almost 60 years ''and never lost an election''. Byrd cast a total of 17,745 votes as of September 13, 2006 — the most of any senator in history. Upon the death of Senator [[George Smathers]] of Florida on January 20, 2007 — Byrd became the last living United States Senator from the 1950s.<ref>[http://senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/three_column_table/10000_or_more_votes.htm U.S. Senate]</ref> This means that not only did Byrd outlive every other Senator who had seniority over him, but he is the only person to ever have remained in the Senate the entire time while doing it. He surpassed [[Carl Hayden]] of [[Arizona]] as the longest-serving member of Congress (House and Senate tenure combined) in American history in early 2010. Byrd was the last remaining Senator to have voted on a statehood bill and has served longer in the Senate than eight of his colleagues have been alive (those being [[Bob Casey, Jr.]], [[Amy Klobuchar]], [[Blanche Lincoln]], [[John Thune]], [[David Vitter]], [[Barack Obama]], [[Mark Pryor]], and [[John E. Sununu]]).

In 2007, after serving in the Senate for nearly 50 years, and holding several prominent Committee chairmanships and Leadership posts, as Appropriations Chairman in the [[110th Congress]], Byrd finally required Democrat staff on his committee to provide him with a detailed disclosure of any direct or indirect [[conflict of interest]] they may have as a result of actions taken by the panel.<ref>[http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_147/news/19169-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Byrd Issues Tougher Staff Conflict Rules], By John Stanton, ''Roll Call'', June 27, 2007.</ref>

In 2007, after serving in the Senate for nearly 50 years, and holding several prominent Committee chairmanships and Leadership posts, as Appropriations Chairman in the [[110th Congress]], Byrd finally required Democrat staff on his committee to provide him with a detailed disclosure of any direct or indirect [[conflict of interest]] they may have as a result of actions taken by the panel.<ref>[http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_147/news/19169-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Byrd Issues Tougher Staff Conflict Rules], By John Stanton, ''Roll Call'', June 27, 2007.</ref>