Original sentence: Byrd participated in filibuster the bill, with lasted for more than 14 hours, arguing that it should not be passed because it abrogated principles of federalism.Despite an 83 day filibuster in the Senate, both parties in Congress voted in favor of the Act, and President Johnson signed the bill into law
Edited sentence: Byrd filibustered the bill for more than 14 hours, arguing that one reason it should not be passed was that it abrogated principles of federalism.Despite an 83 day filibuster in the Senate, both parties in Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Act, and President Johnson signed the bill into law.During the filibuster, however, Byrd argued against the bill in several other ways.In one typical speech Byrd made the argument that the creators of the Declaration of Independence simply “did not intend that these words should be taken literally to be true” when they wrote that “all men are created equal.Similar to other southern and border-state Democrats of his time, Byrd came to realize that he would have to temper his blatantly segregationist views and move to the Democratic Party mainstream if he wanted to play a role nationally.” While invoking this hallowed line from the Declaration, Byrd says: