Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who holds the record as the longest-serving member of Congress, is seriously ill in a Washington-area hospital.

The West Virginia Democrat's office says the 92-year-old lawmaker has been in the hospital since late last week.

At first he was believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration. But his office says in a statement doctors have examined Byrd and other medical conditions have developed. His condition is described as serious.

The statement does not name the hospital.

In November, Byrd broke the record for congressional service that had been set by Democrat Carl Hayden of Arizona, who served in the House and Senate from 1912 to 1969.

Byrd began his career in Washington in 1952 with his election to the House. His elevation to the Senate came six years later.

Byrd has been in frail health in recent years and was hospitalized three times in 2009. He has been confined to a wheelchair, but was present and voted "yes" for final Senate passage of the health care reform bill in March.

Byrd has been the longest-serving senator since June 2006 and was elected to an unprecedented ninth term in November 2006. His colleagues have elected him to more leadership positions than any senator in history. He has cast more than 18,000 votes and has a nearly 98 percent attendance record over the course of his career.

His wife, Erma, died in 2006.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/27/longtime-sen-byrd-seriously-ill-admitted-hospital/?test=latestnews

My prayers go to him. I may dislike this racist guy but I hope he is ok.

This bring's up another subject though, he should resign from the Senate. His health is interfering with his job as a Senator. He has missed more time then anyone in Congress do to ilness and it is a waste of a seat. He has been in there long enough. It's time to retire and focus on your health and let some new blodd in there. It's not a shot at him because I don't care if it's a Republican or Democrat that hes temporarly replaced with until an election, we just need someone in there to actually be there and work.