Rebecca Carr of Cox Newspapers is reporting that West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd has also had an annonymous hold on S. 2590 in addition to Sen. Stevens. I'm immediately inclined to wonder: Is this characteristic of Senators in their 80's? Unlikely. Here's an explanation from Byrd's press spokesman Tom Gavin for the Senator's hold: Senator Byrd wanted time to read the legislation, understand its implications, and see whether the proposal could be improved. There was an effort to pass a bill on an important subject without debate just before the Senate recess. Senators have an obligation to their constituents to know what they are voting on before signing off on any proposal In addition, Byrd has announced he is lifting his hold on the bill. I suppose the slow-down over the last four weeks during the August congressional recess has allowed him sufficient time to read and understand the mammoth seven page bill.