This morning news outlets reported that former U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr. had died at his home in Winchester, Virginia. He was 98. The TaxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. Foundation had a long relationship with Sen. Byrd, and with his father, who preceded him in office. Both were strong fiscal conservatives, tough on wasteful spending and good on taxes.
On my bookshelf, I have a compilation of spending cut legislation that Sen. Harry F. Byrd, Sr. proposed during the 1940s. For these efforts, he received the Tax Foundation’s first Distinguished Service Award in 1941, and received the award a second time in 1955.
Harry Byrd Jr. received our Distinguished Service Award in 1973. Amazingly, he attended 49 Tax Foundation annual dinners. He tried to make his 50th but called me to say that he was under the weather that year. I last spoke with him about a year ago, and he was as up to date on politics and fiscal matters as always, easy to talk to and ready with insightful comments. His contributions to the cause of sensible fiscal policy will be sorely missed.
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