WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert C. Byrd became history's longest-serving member of Congress on Wednesday, earning a formal salute from the Senate and President Barack Obama for his nearly 57 years of service.
"I've loved every precious minute of it," the frail West Virginia Democrat, who turns 92 on Friday, said during a day of floor tributes to him, and moments before the Senate passed a resolution marking the milestone.
Obama earlier in the day described the one-time segregationist as a touchstone for constitutional values and a role model to all lawmakers.
"Countless colleagues, myself included, have looked to him for advice, guidance and leadership over the years," Obama, who represented Illinois in the Senate, said in a statement. "He is one of the most steadfast defenders of the United States Constitution, and he never lets us forget the guiding values and principles that make our nation great."