WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving senator in history, is stepping down from his cherished post as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Byrd, 90, has become increasingly frail in recent years, and the move didn’t come as a surprise.

The West Virginia Democrat is a Senate icon and a legend in his own state, where he’s single-handedly responsible for directing huge sums of federal largess for roads, universities, and economic development projects. It was a perk of his powerful perch as chairman or top minority member of the panel for the past two decades.

Before that, he was the Senate’s Democratic leader for 12 years.

Byrd said Friday he made the decision voluntarily, deciding it’s time for new leadership on the committee, which is among the most important in Congress for its control over federal agencies’ budgets.


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