Former member of Congress · last served 111th Congress
Robert C. Byrd
Robert Byrd was a Democratic U.S. senator from West Virginia, first elected to Congress in 1953, who sponsored 7 bills that became law (100th–111th Congress).
How we count: “Broke with party” is a yes/no roll call where the member voted against most of their own party on that vote (party as recorded; even splits not counted). “Pork: own share” splits each earmark shared by several members evenly among them.
Recent votes
No recorded roll-call votes in PORKER’s records. Roll-call records start in 2011.
5 most recent bills
- S.Res. 487 A resolution honoring the coal miners who perished in the Upper Big Branch Mine-South in Raleigh County, West Virginia, extending the condolences of the…Apr 15, 2010 · Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2393-2394; text as passed…
- S.Res. 337 A resolution designating December 6, 2009, as "National Miners Day".Dec 3, 2009 · Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S12352)
- S. 1579 Restore Our American Mustangs ActAug 5, 2009 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- S. 1529 Executive Accountability Act of 2009Jul 30, 2009 · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8548-8549)
- S. 1534 Appalachian Development Highway System Completion Act of 2009Jul 29, 2009 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Top bills sponsored
- S. 1576 (108th) Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2004Became law
- S. 85 (101st) A bill to authorize the acceptance of certain lands for addition to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia.Became law
- S.J.Res. 68 (101st) A joint resolution to designate the month of May 1989, as "Trauma Awareness Month".Became law
- S.J.Res. 351 (101st) A joint resolution to designate the month of May 1991, as "National Trauma Awareness Month".Became law
- S.J.Res. 224 (101st) A joint resolution to designate the month of May 1990 as "National Trauma Awareness Month".Became law
- S.J.Res. 128 (101st) A joint resolution authorizing a first strike ceremony at the United States Capitol for the Bicentennial of the Congress Commemorative Coin.Became law
- S. 632 (100th) A bill to amend the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1979, as reenacted, to extend the duration of the Office of Classified National Security Information…Became law
- S.Res. 98 (105th) A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the conditions for the United States becoming a signatory to any international agreement on…Passed a chamber
Laws first, then bills that passed a chamber, were reported from committee, or drew the most cosponsors.
Elections Sen. Byrd has won
Sen. Byrd has won 6 U.S. Senate elections (1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2006). Of the contested races, margins ran from 29.5 to 57.6 points.
Full election history for this seat →
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. House V15 / U.S. Senate V8 (CC0), retrieved 2026-10-18; winners matched to member records by seat and term. Results run through the 2024 elections; nothing from 2026 is shown until it is certified. A margin is a fact about one election, never a score of how well a member represents anyone, and PORKER does not rank members by it.
How has West Virginia done while Sen. Byrd served?
2005 to 2009 in West Virginia: typical household income was about the same after inflation, the share of people below the poverty line was about the same, and the share of workers looking for a job was about the same.
Each mini chart has its own scale, fitted to its lines (it does not start at zero), so compare the numbers, not the heights. Oxblood = state, grey = U.S.
While they served, not because of them. This shows what happened in West Virginia during Byrd’s time representing it (1959 to 2010). It does not say what the member did or caused. It is not a score, and PORKER never ranks members on it.
Survey years start at 2005. The yearly estimates for West Virginia begin in 2005, so 1959 to 2004 are not shown. No 2020 yearly estimate exists.
Official records on bills this member sponsored
111th Congress. What Congress.gov lists for the 8 bills sponsored.
| Record | Bills | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bills sponsored | 8 | Source: Congress.gov member record, PORKER copy of October 26, 2026 ↗ See them → |
| With a CBO cost estimate listed | 0 | None listed |
| With a committee report listed | 1 | See the 1 → |
| With a Congress.gov note | 1 | See the 1 → |
Evidence
- How counted
- Bills where this member is the lead (first-listed) sponsor in the 111th Congress, read from the stored Congress.gov bill records
- Fields
- cboCostEstimates, committeeReports, constitutionalAuthorityStatementText, notes
- PORKER copy refreshed
- October 26, 2026 (nightly)
Read this first. These are counts of records Congress.gov lists. Many bills never get a CBO estimate or a report, so a zero is not a mark against a member. We never show this as a score.
Data as of Oct 26, 2026 · Sources: Congress.gov, Senate.gov, House Clerk, Appropriations Committee earmark tables. PORKER is non-partisan.