Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
The Architect of West Virginia: Senator Robert C. Byrd’s Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, 1989 – 1994
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
There is an innumerable aspect of Senator Byrd’s impact on the Senate, West Virginia, or Appalachia and any one of the topics is worthy of scholarly research; yet the most important aspect of Byrd’s career, political philosophy, and his life was his time as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He actively sought an appointment to this committee immediately upon election to the Senate in 1958, an unprecedented action to which Majority Leader Johnson agreed. He was reported to have said, that the highest position in government he sought was the chairmanship of that committee. In fact, Byrd turned down President Nixon’s offer to appoint him to the Supreme Court in 1971, he chose not to actively pursue the Democratic Party nomination for President in 1976 when there was a possibility he could at least secure the Vice President nomination, he also voluntarily gave up the position of the Majority Leader of the Senate in 1989 to take the reins of the Appropriations Committee. Byrd always wanted the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee; it was his goal from the beginning of his time in the Senate. Therefore, this small research article is part of the longer, more substantial book and it partially seeks to tell that story, a political Horatio Alger story of a ‘Hillbilly’ rising to power and influence within the U.S. Senate, overcoming poverty and moving away from a blatantly racist platform, managing and directing nearly two-thirds of the spending in the wealthiest country in the world. Most importantly, however, is that he used that power and influence to build up a nearly forgotten part of the United States, a part of the country wherein poverty is king, suffocating and oppressing nearly all of its inhabitants—Appalachia. Exploring Robert C. Byrd’s actions as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, a position that wielded great power and influence, as it sets national spending and policy priorities, offers a noteworthy look at a controversial Appalachian politician’s leadership and impact on a uniquely poor state. Senator Byrd’s position and political philosophy engendered an unparalleled opportunity for access to specific benefits and rewards that Byrd utilized to benefit his state of West Virginia. He often said he “lost no opportunity to promote funding for programs and projects of benefit to the people back home,” as he thought WV was the “rock bottomest of states.” Chairman Byrd took great care in working within the rules and procedures of the Senate to serve; in fact, he set a 5 year goal of directing $1 billion back to WV while chairman; ultimately directing back $20 billion in 20 years. Byrd utilized his position on the Appropriations Committee to serve the overwhelming needs of the State of West Virginia. This research utilizes the latent data in the congressional papers of Robert C. Byrd from 1989 – 2009 at the newly constructed Byrd Center for Legislative Studies. Many have not undertaken an empirical study of the leadership of Senator Byrd, mainly because of the vastness of his time and work in Congress. This project empirically and descriptively assesses how, arguably, one of the most vigorous, controversial, and dynamic Senators in modern history is a servant leader to West Virginia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
C. Damien Arthur is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Policy at Marshall University. He is author of “Economic Actors, Economic Behaviors, and Presidential Leadership: The Constrained Effects of Rhetoric”. Currently, he is working on an exhaustive political biography of Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia with the assistance of The Dirksen Center’s Congressional Research Grant.
The Architect of West Virginia: Senator Robert C. Byrd’s Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, 1989 – 1994
There is an innumerable aspect of Senator Byrd’s impact on the Senate, West Virginia, or Appalachia and any one of the topics is worthy of scholarly research; yet the most important aspect of Byrd’s career, political philosophy, and his life was his time as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He actively sought an appointment to this committee immediately upon election to the Senate in 1958, an unprecedented action to which Majority Leader Johnson agreed. He was reported to have said, that the highest position in government he sought was the chairmanship of that committee. In fact, Byrd turned down President Nixon’s offer to appoint him to the Supreme Court in 1971, he chose not to actively pursue the Democratic Party nomination for President in 1976 when there was a possibility he could at least secure the Vice President nomination, he also voluntarily gave up the position of the Majority Leader of the Senate in 1989 to take the reins of the Appropriations Committee. Byrd always wanted the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee; it was his goal from the beginning of his time in the Senate. Therefore, this small research article is part of the longer, more substantial book and it partially seeks to tell that story, a political Horatio Alger story of a ‘Hillbilly’ rising to power and influence within the U.S. Senate, overcoming poverty and moving away from a blatantly racist platform, managing and directing nearly two-thirds of the spending in the wealthiest country in the world. Most importantly, however, is that he used that power and influence to build up a nearly forgotten part of the United States, a part of the country wherein poverty is king, suffocating and oppressing nearly all of its inhabitants—Appalachia. Exploring Robert C. Byrd’s actions as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, a position that wielded great power and influence, as it sets national spending and policy priorities, offers a noteworthy look at a controversial Appalachian politician’s leadership and impact on a uniquely poor state. Senator Byrd’s position and political philosophy engendered an unparalleled opportunity for access to specific benefits and rewards that Byrd utilized to benefit his state of West Virginia. He often said he “lost no opportunity to promote funding for programs and projects of benefit to the people back home,” as he thought WV was the “rock bottomest of states.” Chairman Byrd took great care in working within the rules and procedures of the Senate to serve; in fact, he set a 5 year goal of directing $1 billion back to WV while chairman; ultimately directing back $20 billion in 20 years. Byrd utilized his position on the Appropriations Committee to serve the overwhelming needs of the State of West Virginia. This research utilizes the latent data in the congressional papers of Robert C. Byrd from 1989 – 2009 at the newly constructed Byrd Center for Legislative Studies. Many have not undertaken an empirical study of the leadership of Senator Byrd, mainly because of the vastness of his time and work in Congress. This project empirically and descriptively assesses how, arguably, one of the most vigorous, controversial, and dynamic Senators in modern history is a servant leader to West Virginia.
