Editing Robert Byrd (section)

===Final-term Senate highlights===
[[File:Dogfighting.ogg|thumb|Speech by Senator Byrd made to U.S. Senate following the indictment of [[Michael Vick]] on federal dog fighting charges]]
[[File:Bush, Byrd and Pelosi awarding the Dalai Lama.jpg|thumb|The Dalai Lama receiving a [[Congressional Gold Medal]] in 2007. ''From left'': [[Tenzin Gyatso]], Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]], Senate President pro tempore Robert Byrd and U.S. President [[George W. Bush]]]]
On July 19, 2007, Byrd gave a 25-minute speech in the Senate against [[Dog fighting in the United States|dog fighting]] in response to the indictment of football player [[Michael Vick]].<ref>
Byrd called dogfighting a "brutal, [[Sadistic personality disorder|sadistic]] event motivated by barbarism of the worst sort and cruelty of the worst, worst, worst sadistic kind. One is left wondering: 'Who are the real animals: the creatures inside the ring, or the creatures outside the ring?'"{{cite news | author=Paul Kane | title=Byrd on Michael Vick: Going to Hell | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 19, 2007 | url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/07/byrd_to_michael_vick_go_to_hel.html | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705033005/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/07/byrd_to_michael_vick_go_to_hel.html | archive-date=July 5, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

For 2007, Byrd was deemed the 14th-most powerful senator, as well as the 12th-most powerful Democratic senator.<ref>{{cite web | title=Power Rank Standings | publisher=Power Rankings | url=http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/power_card.tt?id=622 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712145141/http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/power_card.tt?id=622 | archive-date=July 12, 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Byrd and farmers.jpg|thumb|right|Byrd with farmers from West Virginia]]

On May 19, 2008, Byrd endorsed then-Senator [[Barack Obama]] for president. One week after the [[2008 West Virginia Democratic presidential primary]], in which [[Hillary Clinton]] defeated Obama by 67 to 25 percent,<ref>
[http://www.wvvotes5.com/results-statewide.php] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517153417/http://www.wvvotes5.com/results-statewide.php|date=May 17, 2008}}</ref> Byrd said, "Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support".<ref>{{cite news | author=Paul J. Nyden | title=Byrd endorses Obama for president | date=May 19, 2008 | newspaper=[[Charleston Gazette]] | url=http://wvgazette.com/News/200805190255 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520223856/http://wvgazette.com/News/200805190255 | archive-date=May 20, 2008}}</ref> When asked in October 2008 about the possibility that the issue of race would influence West Virginia voters, as Obama is [[African Americans|African American]], Byrd replied, "Those days are gone. Gone!"<ref>{{Cite news | title=Byrd on Race Issues in W. Va.: "Those days are gone. Gone!" | publisher=[[WSAZ-TV]] | date=October 24, 2008 | url=http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/33234189.html | access-date=December 9, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229165551/http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/33234189.html | archive-date=December 29, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> [[2008 United States presidential election in West Virginia|Obama lost West Virginia]] (by 13%) but won the [[2008 U.S. presidential election|election]].

On January 26, 2009, Byrd was one of three Democrats to vote against the confirmation of [[Timothy Geithner]] as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] (along with [[Russ Feingold]] of [[Wisconsin]] and [[Tom Harkin]] of [[Iowa]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress – 1st Session |publisher=United States Senate|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615114202/https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00015 |archive-date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref>

On February 26, 2009, Byrd was one of two Democrats to vote against the [[District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009]], which if it had become law would have added a voting seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] for the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]] and add a seat for [[Utah]], explaining that he supported the intent of the legislation, but regarded it as an attempt to solve with legislation an issue which required resolution with a [[Constitutional amendment]]. (Democrat [[Max Baucus]] of [[Montana]] also cast a "nay" vote.)<ref>{{Cite web | title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress – 1st Session | publisher=United States Senate | url=http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00073 | access-date=February 28, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227153453/http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00073 | archive-date=February 27, 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Although his health was poor, Byrd was present for every crucial vote during the December 2009 healthcare debate in the [[United States Senate]]; his vote was deemed essential so Democrats could obtain [[cloture]] to break a Republican filibuster. At the final vote on December 24, 2009, Byrd referenced recently deceased Senator [[Ted Kennedy]], a devoted proponent, when casting his vote: "Mr. President, this is for my friend Ted Kennedy! Aye!"<ref>Lisa Wangsness,[https://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/25/hurdles_remain_after_senate_approves_health_care_bill/?page=2 "Health win in hand; hurdles ahead"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111165541/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/25/hurdles_remain_after_senate_approves_health_care_bill/?page=2 |date=January 11, 2012 }}, ''Boston Globe'', December 25, 2009.</ref>