Senator Warner released this statement today, following the death of his colleague, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd:

“I knew of Senator Robert Byrd and his work long before I ever met him.

“Senator Byrd understood that, for this place to work effectively, members have to be willing to work together in a bipartisan way, treat their colleagues with trust and mutual respect, and always put the interests of the nation first.

“In a Senate career that spanned more than a half-century, I believe it can be said that few people understood this institution any better than Robert Byrd.”